LYME/OLD LYME — This Vaccine Update was issued by Ledge Light Health Department (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield this morning. We felt it would be helpful to our readers to publish it in its entirety:

Vaccine providers continue to focus on the 75+ population (along with any remaining Phase 1a individuals). Vaccine supply shortages and challenges with registration systems continue to demand we exercise patience, but in this week’s update we do have some positive movement.

Last week we shared that more providers are coming on-line and appointments are starting to open up. This Monday Yale New Haven Health System launched a mass vaccination site at Mitchell College (appointments required!) and on Tuesday the CVS in Waterford began offering appointments.

In addition, some eligible people are hearing directly from their healthcare providers regarding available appointments. This expanded access is good news.

We know that many continue to struggle with navigating the electronic registration systems or the long wait lines on the State phone hotline; there is also a lack of support/access to local appointments for people with limited English proficiency or literacy.

This week the Department of Public Health authorized local health departments to submit a plan for transitioning out of using the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS). LLHD is working furiously to finish our submission for approval so that we can begin using a system that:

• Is easier for people to navigate
• Offers access to appointment via phone
• Can be made available in English and Spanish

As our system will meet all reporting requirements, we anticipate swift approval and will alert you all when our new system is ‘live.’ ** We will publish details of the new system on LymeLine.com as soon as it is approved.**

You may continue to get calls from eligible folks who have appointments that are not scheduled until March, or who say they are facing challenges securing a 2^nd dose appointment. The message again is ‘patience’.

Please continue checking as new appointments are continuously being added to the system. As a reminder, the 2^nd dose may be given later than but not earlier than the 21-day (Pfizer) or 28-day (Moderna) guidelines.

Ledge Light Health District continues to work to support the individuals and communities we serve by collecting and connecting resources, providing education and support, providing vaccines (limited in number due to low supply), and advocating for appointment systems to be simpler and accessible in multiple languages and formats.

We will update this memo with new information as it comes out. 

Contact Director of Health Stephen Mansfield at 860.867.7962 or Deputy Director Jennifer Muggeo at 860.912.1429 with any questions.

This map published Jan. 28 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are in the ‘Red Zone.’ Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

LYME/OLD LYME — The report issued Thursday, Jan. 28, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) showed that Old Lyme’s COVID-19 cumulative case numbers since the pandemic began increased by four to 254 over Wednesday’s number of 250.

Lyme’s cumulative total held at 73, the same number as that reported Wednesday.

New Two-Week Case Rate Falls in Both Towns

The two-week case rate per 100,000 population announced Thursday, Jan. 28, fell in both Lyme and Old Lyme, decreasing in Lyme between 1/10 and 1/23 from 55.0 to 24.4 and in Old Lyme over the same period from 58.2 to 48.5.

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. The Monday reports include data for the weekend as well as the previous Friday.

Both Towns Still in ‘Red Zone’

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Jan. 28, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27, shows the following:

Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the state-identified ‘Red Zone’ (see map above), where they have been for the past several weeks.

As of the Jan. 28 report, six towns in the state — Canaan, Cornwall, Colebrook, Norfolk, Scotland and Warren — are now in the ‘Gray Zone.’

• 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.
• 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.

In all cases, this rate does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

Old Lyme – Confirmed Cases Up Four

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 249 confirmed COVID-19 cases and FIVE probable cases, making a TOTAL of 254 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of FOUR in the cumulative number of confirmed cases over the number reported Wednesday, Jan. 27, (245) and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases over the number reported the same day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,372.

There have been two fatalities in Old Lyme.

New CT DPH Two-Weekly Report for Old Lyme Issued Jan. 28

The Jan. 28 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 01/10/21 through 01/23/21, Old Lyme had 27 (33) cases in Week 1 and 23 (27) in Week 2. (The previous Week 1 and 2 figures are shown in parentheses.) This data was updated Jan. 28, 2021.

The case rate in Old Lyme for 100,000 population is 48.5, reflecting a decrease from the previously reported two-week rate of 58.2. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

Lyme – No Change in Confirmed or Probable Cases

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 68 confirmed cases and FIVE probable cases, making a TOTAL of 73 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the number of confirmed or probable cases from the numbers reported Wednesday, Jan. 27.

There have been no fatalities in Lyme.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,173.

New CT DPH Two-Weekly Report for Lyme Issued Jan. 28

The Jan. 28 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 01/10 through 01/23/21, Lyme had 3 (14) cases in Week 1 and 5 (4) in Week 2. (The previous Week 1 and 2 figures are shown in parentheses.) This data was updated Jan. 28, 2021.

The case rate in Lyme for 100,000 population is 24.4 reflecting a decrease from the previously reported two-week-rate of 55.0. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

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: In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we have started a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued Friday, Jan. 29.