LYME/OLD LYME — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s latest COVID-19 Community Levels Map for Connecticut (CT), pictured above and dated Thursday, Jan. 19, shows an improvement over the previous week’s map dated Jan. 13. New London County not only remains in the Yellow/Medium category but Fairfield County has rejoined it there.
The remaining six counties in Connecticut, however, are still in the Orange/High Category.
Because all eight Connecticut counties are either in the High or Medium categories, the CT Department of Public Health (DPH) recommends that all residents consider wearing a mask in public indoor spaces. People who are at high risk for severe illness should consider additional measures to minimize their exposure to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
To help protect themselves, their families, and the state’s most vulnerable residents and to preserve capacity in the CT health care system, people are also advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms.
Connecticut DPH officials stress there are numerous tools for residents to deal effectively with COVID-19, including vaccines and updated boosters, Test to Treat locations, the mobile vaccination van clinics, and the wide availability of COVID-19 self-test kits.
The links to all these resources can be found in the DPH COVID-19 toolbox at www.ct.gov/coronavirus.
Additionally, the Federal Government has now made available four free self-test kits per household. These free self-test kits can be ordered by visiting www.covid.gov/tests.
The COVID-19 Community Levels inform CDC recommendations on prevention measures, such as masking and testing. The guidelines include a color-coded system available on the CDC website of “Low,” “Medium,” and “High.” This approach focuses on preventing hospitals and health care systems from being overwhelmed and directing prevention efforts toward protecting people at high risk for severe illness.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on a news release issued Jan. 7, 2023 by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and sent to LymeLine by Ledge Light Health District.