Ridgefield Health Director Ed  Briggs is asking residents to avoid calling the Health Department for COVID-19 statistics so staff can devote time to inspections and supporting critical town businesses and agencies as they plan and execute safe reopening.  Briggs says the time spent to explain the generalities in the state numbers takes away from the health mission. 

He added that current state information on testing is difficult to interpret because it combines various classifications of test results—positive, presumptive positive, probable positive, suspected positives, and positive for antibodies. Those who have tested positive are never removed, even after they recover. Those who have had more than one test can show up on the list multiple times. 

Ridgefield's cumulative number of positive tests as of Tuesday was 173, not including fatalities, which stands at 42.  The state however reported over 240 cumulative positive tests in Ridgefield that same day.  Briggs says there is no actionable information in these reports. 

First Selectman Rudy Marconi says that the State is working to implement the more sophisticated testing data, but meanwhile Ridgefield will suspend giving out daily numbers until it is more relevant.