LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Monday, March 29, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, March 28, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began INCREASED BY TWO in Old Lyme to 310 but were UNCHANGED in Lyme for the third reporting day in a row at 95 when compared with the numbers reported Friday, March 26.
Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up Two
Monday’s report shows that Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 303 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 310 cases.
This represents an INCREASE of TWO in the cumulative number of confirmed cases compared with those reported Friday, March 26, and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases.
The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,927, an increase of 22 over Friday’s number of 4,905.
Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases
Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 87 confirmed cases and EIGHT probable cases, making a TOTAL of 95 cases.
This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Friday, March 26.
The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,324, a decrease of one compared with Friday’s number of 1,325.
Two-Week Case Rates: Old Lyme Back in Red (highest) Zone, Lyme Stays in Gray (lowest) Zone
The report issued Monday, March 29, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains worrying news for the whole state including Old Lyme. Lyme, however, continues to maintain the low infection rate reported last week.
The report shows that Old Lyme has moved back into the Red (highest) Zone for two-week new case rates, but Lyme has retained its position in the Gray (lowest) Zone.
Last week, Old Lyme was in the (second highest) Orange Zone and so this change reflects a further increase in the two-week case rate over the previous week. In contrast, Lyme has recorded a second straight week in the lowest zone. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)
Overall, the report contains disappointing news for the whole state with the number of towns in the Gray, Yellow and Orange Zones all decreasing this week (the previous week’s figures are shown in parentheses), reflecting a statewide increase in infection rates:
- 13 (22) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
- 5 (9) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
- 20 (33) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.
All the remaining 131 towns are in the Red Zone, and the state as a whole is moving once again towards the map we published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone. The numbers are concerning in that the trend appears to be that cases are continuing to increase at this point.
Lyme joins only 12 other towns in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone: Ashford, Chaplin, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, New Canaan, North Stonington, Norfolk, Sharon, Scotland and Sprague.
The Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone now has only five towns: Essex, Griswold, Pomfret, Somers and Willington.
- The gray category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is less than five or less than five reported cases.
- The yellow category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between five and nine reported cases.
- The orange category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between 10 and 14.
- The red category is 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.
In all cases, this rate does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.
This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated Thursday, March 25; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, April 1.
More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates
On Thursday, March 25, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We continue to see relatively steady case numbers within our jurisdiction. Our contact tracers report clusters associated with daycares, schools, and workplaces, and transmissions linked to social gatherings and sporting events.”
He stresses, however, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is still imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies.”
The latest two-week case rates announced Thursday, March 25, for the period 3/07 to 3/20 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/28 to 3/13) have again increased in Old Lyme and remained constant in Lyme.
The two-week case rates are as follows:
- Old Lyme from 13.6 to 15.5
- Lyme from 9.2 to 9.2
The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 3/07 to 3/20 (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/28 to 3/13 shown in parentheses) are as follows:
- Lyme had 1 (3) cases in Week 1 and 2 (0) in Week 2
- Old Lyme had 9 (5) cases in Week 1 and 7 (9) in Week 2
This data was updated March 25, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, April 1.
Vaccination Rates
At the request of several readers, we have started a new section reflecting the status of community vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme. The data is taken from the COVID-19 Vaccinations by Town report published by CT-DPH, which is published roughly weekly.
Lyme is now ahead of Old Lyme in terms of the percentage of its total population that have received a first dose, with 49.01 percent vaccinated compared with 44.36 percent in Old Lyme. The percentages for both towns for the age segments 65-74 and 75+ are very encouraging with Lyme now having 101.82 percent of seniors 75 and above having received their first dose and 94.84 percent of the same age segment having received it in Old Lyme. Editor’s Note: We are skeptical of these figures for Old Lyme since they show the numbers vaccinated in the two age segments decreasing compared with last week. We are investigating further.
The detailed data below is the most recent and was updated March 245.
Old Lyme
Total population: 7,306
Estimated population age 65-74: 1,067
Estimated population age 75 and above: 794
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Lyme
Total population: 2,316
Estimated population age 65-74: 372
Estimated population age 75 and above: 274
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Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme
According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”
He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”
The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.
No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.
Connecticut Hospital Occupancy
At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).
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Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the ongoing rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme.