Dear Madison Residents,

The COVID-19 situation is evolving, and the Town will continue to share information and provide guidance to the public as it becomes available. Please know that Town leadership, the Director of Health, and the Director of Emergency Services, in close consultation with the Superintendent of Schools and State agencies, are working to take the necessary steps to protect our community and minimize the spread of this disease.  Out of an abundance of caution, we have chosen to close the Madison Senior Center to the public effective Friday, March 13th at 2pm through Tuesday March 31st.

All activities, programs, transportation, lunch and rentals will be postponed or cancelled. This decision was made with a considerable amount of thought and care, in an effort to protect one of our most vulnerable populations, the Seniors of Madison. Please note that Meals-on-Wheels home delivery lunch service will continue to be delivered on a regular basis by Senior Center staff.  We understand the inconvenience this will cause members and the public, but know that your best interests and health were taken into consideration.  Madison Senior Center staff will be available by phone during normal business hours to answer your questions and provide further guidance on available resources for seniors during this Public Health Emergency. The Senior Center phone number is 203-245-5627.  The Senior Center will also update its Facebook page and the Town website and email list as necessary.

As the recommended guidance from Connecticut Department of Health is to discourage large-group meetings, the Town continues to strongly recommend postponing or cancelling all non-essential events, meetings, and other gatherings scheduled through April 30, 2020 that are expected to have 100 or more participants.  Further clarification will be provided as soon as possible of what public meetings of Town Government are considered to be essential; and further guidance will be provided to Town Boards and Commissions when available. Town officials are also evaluating the ability to hold previously scheduled Town Meetings on March 23rd and April 2nd. We will continue to monitor any possible need to change policies for public events, gatherings and meetings expected to be under 100 participants, and update the public accordingly. 

However, no matter what the gathering size, we continue to strongly advise residents to practice social distancing. Social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.  For events or gatherings with people within arm’s length of each other, we encourage those who are higher risk due to age (70 or older), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, chronic lung diseases like COPD, as well as those with severely weakened immune systems, not to attend.

Community members should continue to follow basic steps to keep themselves and others healthy:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based sanitizer.
• Avoid shaking hands as a greeting.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Practice social distancing.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

We encourage everyone to stay informed, sign-up for important news alerts from the Town of Madison Newsletter on the town website, and refer to the following links:

State of Connecticut
Centers for Disease Control 
World Health Organization

Please know your government is working hard to stay abreast of the latest developments, and we will update our community when appropriate.

Kind Regards,

Peggy Lyons

First Selectwoman