'Rapid Increases' In COVID-19 Result In Health Alert For CT

CONNECTICUT — And then there was just Litchfield County. State Department of Public Health officials said in a "health alert" that Middlesex County has joined six other Connecticut counties in being classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having “substantial" transmission” of COVID-19.

"Given the rapid increases in cases of COVID-19 in Connecticut over the last 14 days due to the spread of the Delta variant, the Connecticut Department of Public Health is strongly recommending that ALL CONNECTICUT residents over aged two years, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, return to wearing masks when in indoor public spaces," state health officials said.

CDC said a county has "substantial" coronavirus transmission if it has more than 50 COVID-19 cases per hundred thousand residents over seven days. While Litchfield County does not currently meet the threshold, the likelihood is high that it will soon do so and, therefore, universal masking indoors is an important precaution, health officials said.

(Graphic via CT Department of Public Health)

"Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals at high risk for complications from COVID-19, including those with compromised immune systems, diabetes, asthma, other lung diseases, pregnancy or obesity, should also avoid large indoor gatherings that may include a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals," state health officials said.

"Vaccination remains the most important defense against illness and hospitalization from COVID-19," health officials added. "So-called 'vaccine breakthrough' cases have occurred in Connecticut, but they remain rare, and the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths in Connecticut and around the country are in unvaccinated individuals. DPH strongly recommends that unvaccinated individuals get vaccinated as soon as possible to help stop the ongoing spread of the Delta variant."

Return of the red zone map

A few weeks ago, Connecticut's coronavirus red zone map was no more; but as the infection rate inched up over the past month, four communities are now back in the red zone.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that four municipalities — Bozrah, Hartland, Salem and Sprague — are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels. The red zone indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population.

Four towns are listed in the orange zone are Easton, East Hampton, Ledyard and Thompson. The orange zone indicates case rates between 10 and 14 cases per 100,000 population

More than two dozen towns are in the yellow zone including Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Stratford, Shelton, Monroe, Derby, Orange, West Haven, New Haven, North Haven, Hamden, Bethany, Oxford, Southbury, Brookfield, Salisbury, Enfield, East Granby, Windsor Locks, Windsor, Bloomfield, West Hartford, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, Bolton, Hebron, Glastonbury, Wethersfield, Newington, Rocky Hill, New Britain, Farmington, Bristol, Plymouth, Thomaston, Waterbury, Wolcott, Southington, Cheshire, Meriden, Cromwell, Portland, Hebron, Clinton, Old Lyme, Waterford, Montville, Norwich, Griswold, Plainfield, Stonington, Groton, and New London. The yellow zone indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population.

When state officials created the red zone map, they released guidelines based on each color. If your town is in the red zone, you are encouraged to limit trips outside the home and to avoid gatherings with non-family members. You are also urged to postpone all indoor and outdoor activities where mask wearing, or social distancing cannot be maintained.

For towns in the orange zone, you are encouraged to avoid larger events and limit time with non-family members. You are also urged to limit group sizes and postpone indoor activities where mask wearing, or social distancing cannot be maintained.

And for towns in the yellow zone, residents are urged to wear masks and ensure proper social-distancing and move activities outdoors where possible.

The young are contracting most of the new cases in CT

Between July 11-24, there have been 644 COVID-19 cases for people between the ages of 20-29; 463 cases for ages 30-39; 346 cases for ages 10-19; and 345 cases for ages 40-49. People older than 70 accounted for 116 cases between July 11-24.

Since the pandemic began, 62,349 cases have been reported for people between 20-29, followed by 55,137 for those between the ages of 30-39. For comparison, there have been 17,845 cases involving people between 70-79 and 16,653 cases for those 80 and older.

However, 4,661 deaths have involved people older than 80; followed by 1,860 between 70-79; and 1,095 between 60-69; 467 between 50-59; 153 between 40-49. A total of 57 people under the age of 40 have died as a result of COVID-19 in Connecticut.

Latest data on variants in CT

The following data contains the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been identified among Connecticut residents, according to the state health department.

Variants of concern

• B.1.1.7 (alpha): 3,392 cases
• B.1.351 (beta): 36 cases
• P.1 (gamma): 189 cases
• B.1.617.2/AY.1/AY.2/AY.3 (delta): 195 cases

Variants of interest

• B.1.427/B.1.429 (epsilon): 211 cases
• B.1.525 (eta): 21 cases
• B.1.526 (iota): 1,804 cases
• B.1.617.1 (kappa): 2 cases
• B.1.617.3: 0 cases

Total pandemic numbers for CT

• 354,335 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases
• 9,905,336 total tests administered
• 116 hospitalizations presently
• 8,293 total deaths