LYME-OLD LYME — On Thursday, March 31, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 20 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates.
In a worrying trend, this number has increased by 12 from eight since last week.
Although this total of Red Zone towns reflects an increase over last week’s number, it still shows a reduction in the number of Red Zone towns since late January. On Jan. 27, the total was 168 out of 169 towns and by Feb. 17, the total was 153. By Feb. 24, it had fallen to 87; on March 3, the total was 23, and and last week on March 12, it was 12.
The March 31 total of 20 is equivalent to 11.3% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.
By way of contrast, the map below shows the COVID-19 Case Rate Map from one year ago.
As of March 31, 2022 there are no towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remaining in the Red Zone. Three, including Old Lyme, are in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- the other two are East Lyme and Waterford. Last week, Old Lyme was in the Yellow Zone and so this represents another trend of concern.
Four are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone, namely Groton, New London, Ledyard and Stonington, while Lyme and North Stonington remain in the Gray (lowest) Zone.
The LLHD is no longer issuing reports with updated Case Rates and other metrics.
The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, April 7 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.
The color-coded zones are:
Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population
Local Situation — Daily Update
The Daily Data Reports issued Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Old Lyme on March 31, taking that town’s cumulative case total to 1059, and one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Lyme on April 2, raising the town’s cumulative case totals to 260.
Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported on March 25.
March 24 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme. There were also no new cases on March 9 and 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.
The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Monday, April 4, around 4 p.m.
Statewide Situation – Daily Update
The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate increased from 3.07% on March 28 to 3.65% on March 29. It decreased on March 30 to 3.35%, but increased on March 31 to 3.95%. This latter number was the highest recorded CT Daily Positivity Rate since Feb. 24, when the Rate stood at 3.99%.
On April 1, the state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate decreased to 3.68%.
The March 10 rate of 1.79% was the most recent time the positivity rate had fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.
On March 31, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations fell to 88 from 98 on March 31, and decreased further to 81 on April 1. In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.
Of those hospitalized on March 31, 26 (representing 29.5%) are not fully vaccinated. The number on April 1 was 28 (representing 34.6%).
The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut now stands at 10,776, according to the New York Times. This number has been corrected from the previously-reported 10,779.
Statewide Situation – Weekly Update
The following numbers have not been updated by the state this week.
As of March 23, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 16, 2022)
Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 177,032 (175, 490)
Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 2,693,502 (2,687,029)
Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.57% (6.53%)
For the week beginning March 13, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 6, 2022)
Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 3.0 x greater (3.0 x greater)
Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 16.0 x greater (4.0 x greater)
Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021
The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 616 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443 — that number had stood unchanged for a week since the previous Thursday, Nov. 4.
On Aug. 26 — which was the day Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year — Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have now been 687 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 146 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.
Ledge Light Health District Update
There are no towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), of which both Lyme and Old Lyme are members, in the Red (highest case rate) Zone.
The LLHD has announced that there will be no further weekly LLHD reports unless there are “any significant change in case rates, hospitalizations, etc.” The following details are therefore from the final LLHD update on March 24.
In an email sent Thursday, March 24, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”
He continues, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”
He adds, “In New London County, residents are advised to:
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.
LLHD continues to focus our vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously. Information about vaccination opportunities can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/.”
An explanation of the new tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.
COVID testing opportunities can be found at COVID-19 Testing | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org)
The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/
Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme
There has been one COVID-related fatality of a Lyme resident: a 57-year-old male passed away Nov. 16, 2021. On Nov. 30, the state finally included this fatality in its data
Four COVID-related fatalities have now been reported in Old Lyme. The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.
Details of the third and fourth fatalities, which were reported respectively in 2021 and on Feb. 4, 2022, have not been made available.
Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Update
Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing.
LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained the latest developments in LOL Schools COVID protocols in an April 1 email to the school community, saying, “As noted in my email of February 17, 2022, beginning April 1, 2022 we will no longer report daily COVID-19 cases in the schools. For the remainder of this school year, that information will be complied on a weekly basis and will be available on our website at the following link: https://www.region18.org/
He added, “In light of the significant reduction in cases since our return from February vacation, we have slowly discontinued most COVID-19 mitigation strategies excluding required quarantine/isolation for those that test positive and enhanced building ventilation. We are in the process of removing all remaining plastic shields from schools, students and staff no longer need to practice physical distancing, and large group gatherings are not limited in number. Mask use still remains optional and handwashing will continue to be encouraged.”
A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.
During Winter Break for LOL Schools, no case reporting was announced until Monday, Feb. 28. Schools are now back in session. One new case was reported on March 2 and another on March 3. No new cases were reported on March 4, or March 7-12. One new case was reported on each day of March 13, 14, 16, 20 and 22. Two were reported on March 23, one on March 24, two on March 28, and three on March 30.
Lyme-Old Lyme Schools closed Dec. 23, 2021 and reopened Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 after the winter break meaning no new cases were reported by the schools during that period. We are no longer including positive cases impacting LOL schools between Aug 26, 2021 (the first day of the 2021-22 academic school year) and Dec. 23, 2021 (the last day of school before winter break began), in this report. During that period contact tracing was still required.
View the full listing of cases during that period (8/26/21 – 12/23/21) at this link.
The listing below is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.
The following abbreviations are used in the lists below: LOLHS: Lyme-Old Lyme High School, LOLMS: Lyme-Old Lyme
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten
Wednesday, March 30
Total: LOLHS: 2, Lyme: 1
Monday, March 28
Total: LOLHS: 2
Thursday, March 24
Total: LOLMS: 1
Wednesday, March 23
Total: LOLHS: 1, CS: 1
Tuesday, March 22
Total: Lyme: 1
Sunday, March 20
Total: LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, March 16
Total: LOLHS: 1
Monday, March 14
Total: CS: 1
Sunday, March 13
Total: LOLHS: 1
Thursday, March 3
Total: LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, March 2
Total: LOLHS: 1
FEBRUARY 2022
Friday, Feb. 18: Total: LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, Feb. 17: Total: 1, MC: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 16: Total: 6, LOLMS: 3
Monday, Feb. 14: Total: 6, LOLMS: 2, MC: 3, Lyme: 1
Sunday, Feb. 13: Total: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 1
Friday, Feb. 11: Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, CS: 1
Thursday, Feb. 10: Total: 2, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 9: Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, MC: 1
Tuesday, Feb. 8: Total: 0
Monday, Feb. 7: Total: 3, Lyme: 1, MC: 1, CS: 1
Sunday, Feb. 6:Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Friday, Feb. 4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 2
Thursday, Feb. 3: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 2: Total: 3, MC: 3
Tuesday, Feb. 1: Total: 1, MC: 1
JANUARY 2022
Monday, 1/31: Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1
Sunday, 1/30: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/28: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, 1/27: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, Lyme: 2
Wednesday, 1/26: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, MC: 2
Tuesday, 1/25: Total: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/24:Total: 9, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1, MC: 4, CS: 1
Sunday, 1/23:Total: 3, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 2
Friday, 1/21:Total: 8, LOLHS: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Thursday, 1/20: Total: 5, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1, Lyme: 3
Wednesday, 1/19: Total: 7, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 4, CS: 1
Tuesday, 1/18: Total: 7, LOLHS: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/17: Total: 6, Lyme: 4, MC: 2
Friday, 1/14: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, 1/12: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLMS: 1
Monday, 1/10: Total: 3, CS: 1, Lyme: 2
Sunday, 1/9: Total: 2, MC: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/7: Total: 1, MC: 1:
Thursday, 1/6: Total: 7, LOLHS: 5, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, 1/5: Total: 14, LOLHS: 6, MC: 1, Lyme: 3, CS: 4
Tuesday, 1/4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 4, CS: 1