LYME/OLD LYME — In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we have started a new daily update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. The state is now issuing a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening.
The Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) does not give any details of the age of those infected, their gender or the date the case was confirmed.
The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued by CT DPH Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 2, for data as at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 1, shows the following:
Both Lyme and Old Lyme remain in the state-identified ‘Red Zone,’ defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town exceeds 15.
OLD LYME now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 84 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
This represents an increase of two confirmed cases over the 82 cases reported Tuesday, Dec. 1.
The number of Old Lyme residents tested is 3,144.
There have been two fatalities in Old Lyme.
The Dec.1 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 11/08 through 11/21, Old Lyme had 15 cases in Week 1 and 9 in Week 2. This data has not been updated, however, since Nov. 25.
The case rate for 100,000 population is 23.3. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’
LYME has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 21 confirmed cases and two probable cases, making a total of 23 cases.
This represents no change in the number of confirmed or probable cases over those reported Tuesday, Dec. 1.
There have been no fatalities in Lyme.
The number of Lyme residents tested is 688.
The Dec. 1 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from11/08 through 11/21, Lyme had 1 case in Week 1 and 6 in Week 2. This data has not been updated, however, since Nov. 25.
The case rate for 100,000 population is 21.4. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’
The COVID-19 metric report is issued by the state once per day, every Monday through Friday. The report that is issued each Monday contains combined data that was collected on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The state will issue its next report Thursday, Dec. 3.
I really hate to keep amplifying this troubling local news by piling on more troubling news, but we are in the midst of a public health catastrophe.
Yesterday, December 2nd, there were 2,777 new COVID -related Americans dead, raising the total to over 276 thousand; there were also nearly 205,000 new COVID cases in the United States, just about a month after the single-day record topped 100,000 cases for the first time.
The CDC Director said that the worst might still be ahead, predicting that the COVID death toll could reach 450,000 by February; and that “this winter could be ‘the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
In an awful comparison, we had 2,977 deaths on “Nine-Eleven”, and if the current rate of increase remains unchecked, that could be a daily occurrence.
There were 51 new COVID deaths in CT yesterday, the highest daily number since the end of May. CT has now tallied 165 COVID deaths over the past week, more than in any seven-day period since early June; and a total of 5,091 in this pandemic.
The test positivity rate increased to 6.5 percent, the highest single-day rate in nearly two weeks.
Hospitals are filling up. CT currently has 1,202 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, up 50 from Tuesday. Hospital officials have said that they’re prepared to reallocate staff and assemble ancillary treatment sites to ensure adequate capacity.
These data probably do not yet include any effect from Thanksgiving gatherings.
So, even though vaccines are on the horizon, we need to continue to observe the simple behaviors that public health professionals have stressed, for months, to mitigate the spread of the disease (i.e. wear a mask, wash your hands, watch your distance, and you know the rest). Don’t be selfish.
In my prior comment, I said “in an awful comparison, we had 2,977 deaths on “Nine-Eleven”, and, if the current rate of increase remains unchecked, that could be a daily occurrence”.
Remarkably, I just reviewed the most recent COVID data published by Johns Hopkins University; and they stated that “the United States just recorded 3,157 deaths on Wednesday, (December 2nd).
That is now more than the number of people killed on “Nine-Eleven”; that figure also exceeds the daily deaths record of 2,603, which was set on April 15, when the New York metropolitan area was the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.