CT Coronavirus Red Zone Map: 10 Towns Added, 6 Removed
CONNECTICUT — Connecticut continues to experience a growing threat from the coronavirus, as nearly every town has fallen in the state’s red zone coronavirus alert level. Health experts have predicted it will only get worse when Thanksgiving-related coronavirus infections become apparent in the coming days and weeks.
Around 1,000 people in the state spent Thanksgiving hospitalized due to coronavirus infections. To date, more than 4,900 people have been killed by the virus.
Another 10 towns were added to Connecticut’s red zone list and six were downgraded to a lower alert level. Residents living in red zones are encouraged to avoid group settings.
As of Friday, 150 out of 169 communities were listed as red zones. Towns fall into the red zone when their daily average coronavirus infection rate goes above 15 per 100,000 people over the course of two weeks. The latest period is between Nov. 8 and 21.
Ashford, Guilford, North Stonington, Pomfret, Preston and Roxbury dropped from the red zone to a lower alert level.
Avon, Barkhamsted, Bolton, Canton, Columbia, Ellington, Granby, Simsbury, Voluntown and Winchester were added to the red zone list.
Danbury, Bridgeport, Ansonia and Waterbury have positive test rates at or above 10 percent.
Many of Connecticut’s largest cities have both a higher number of cases and a higher number of cases per capita. Bridgeport had more than 1,500 coronavirus cases reported over two weeks and Waterbury had nearly 1,300.
See also: CT Coronavirus Hospitalizations Exceed 1,000
The towns with the highest case rates per 100,000 population between Nov. 8 and 21 are:
Waterbury: 84.6
Bridgeport: 78.2
Danbury: 78
Meriden: 75.1
New Britain: 74.4
Hartford: 73.8
Wolcott: 70.4
Torrington: 70.1
Norwalk: 62.6
Thomaston: 62.4
Additionally, all of Connecticut's counties now fall in the high-risk school learning model indicator. The separate metrics put counties into the high-risk category if daily average cases reach 25 per 100,000 people. That means all of Connecticut’s school districts should consider less in-person learning.
The state average was 45.1 new cases per 100,000 people between Nov. 7 and 20 and the positive test rate was 6.2 percent. Fairfield County had the highest rates with 51.4 cases per 100,000 people and an 8 percent positive test rate.
Connecticut health officials recommend the following for towns in the red zone:
Individuals: Limit trips outside home, avoiding gatherings with non-family members. High-risk individuals should stay home.
Communities: Cancel public events and limit community gathering points, alert residents via reverse 911 system.
Organized group activities: Postpone all indoor activities. Postpone outdoor activities where mask wearing or social distancing cannot be maintained at all times.
Prekindergarten-grade 12 schools: In collaboration with local health department and superintendent, consider more distance learning if cases are greater than 25 per 100,000 residents per day over two week average.
This article originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch
