Monthly Archives: January 2021

Jan. 21 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Old Lyme Jump to 235, Lyme’s Up One to 69; Latest Two-Week Case Rate Up in OL, Down in Lyme

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This map published Jan. 21 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. 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 — Old Lyme’s COVID-19 cumulative case numbers since the pandemic began jumped by nine to 235 over the previous day’s (226) in the report issued Thursday, Jan. 21, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH). The two-week case rate per 100,000 population in Old Lyme announced yesterday continues to rise going from 51.4 to 58.2.

Lyme’s cumulative total increased by one to 69 over the previous day’s number of 68. The two-week case rate per 100,000 population in Lyme announced yesterday has fallen going from 78.3 to 55.0.

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.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 shows the following:

Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the state-identified ‘Red Zone;’ where they have been for the past several weeks.

As of the Jan. 21 report, five towns in the state — Canaan, Cornwall, Colebrook, Norfolk and Warren (see map above) — 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

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 229 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 235 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of NINE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases over the number (220) reported Wednesday, Jan. 20, and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases reported the same day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,275.

There have been two fatalities in Old Lyme.

CT DPH Two-Weekly Report

The Jan. 21 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 01/03/21 through 01/16/21, Old Lyme had 33 cases in Week 1 and 27 in Week 2. This data was updated Jan. 21, 2021.

The case rate in Old Lyme for 100,000 population is 58.2, reflecting an increase from the previously reported two-week rate of 51.4. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

Lyme

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 63 confirmed cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 69 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the number of confirmed cases and an INCREASE OF ONE in the number of  probable cases from the numbers reported Wednesday, Jan. 20.

There have been no fatalities in Lyme.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,138.

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).

[table id=10 /]

CT DPH Two-Weekly Report

The Jan. 21 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 01/03 through 01/16/21, Lyme had 14 cases in Week 1 and 4 in Week 2. This data was updated Jan. 21, 2021.

The case rate in Lyme for 100,000 population is 55.0 reflecting a decrease from the previously reported two-week-rate of 78.3. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

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. 22, 2021.

Free COVID Vaccination Transportation Offered by Estuary Transit

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LYME/OLD LYME — Estuary Transit District is offering complimentary COVID vaccination transportation to all residents regardless of age or ability. This service provides free, accessible transportation to COVID test sites in the district seven days per week. A maximum of four people may travel together.

Trips must begin in Lyme or Old Lyme; or Clinton, Chester, Essex, East Haddam, Deep River, Haddam, Killingworth, Madison, Old Saybrook or Westbrook and may be to any vaccination site in those towns, Guilford or Middletown, including drive-through vaccination sites.

Trips must be booked at least one day in advance by calling Curtin Transportation at 860-443-1655 between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Wheelchair accessible vehicles are available upon request.

Face coverings are required when riding.

Wait-and-return service can be provided.

Visit www.estuarytransit.org for full program details.

A View from My Porch: Thoughts on the Occasion of the Inauguration

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The White House on Inauguration Day. All photos by Erin O’Donnell.

At noon on this past Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, President-elect Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated in a ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol. This was the culminating event in what has been a hostile transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to President Biden. 

The Environment:

The then President Trump had claimed, repeatedly and without evidence, that the election result was fraudulent and “stolen” from him. Regrettably, many of his supporters have yet to acknowledge that this claim was untrue.

Consequently, there was a violent and dystopian siege on the Capitol by domestic terrorists, incited by his “Big Lie,” just two weeks before the Inauguration.

Unexpectedly, on Tuesday night, the then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell affirmed that “… the president and other powerful people,” had provoked the violent attacks on the Capitol building. I am uncertain how firm he is in his conviction.

Fortunately, amidst all that turmoil, the Inauguration proceeded forward, albeit with immense security and what was  described officially as a “show of force” in place well in advance of the 20th. 

My outlet, in such chaotic and troubling times, has always been reviewing historic accounts of great men and women. I am a fan of the spoken word. A masterful presentation always stirs me. 

Motorcycles lead the parade up Pennsylvania Avenue following the Inauguration.

I’m going to reflect on the Inauguration in this essay; but, first, I’ll share a few written works and speeches that buoyed me during this chaotic period.

In 2005, a self-described “skinny Kid with a funny name” asserted to the American Library Association’s Annual Conference assembly that “the moment we persuade a child to cross the threshold into a library, we’ve changed their lives forever, and for the better.” The then-Senator Obama also said that “librarians are the ones who’ve been on the frontlines of the fight for privacy and freedom. Libraries remind us that truth isn’t about who yells the loudest, but who has the right information.” 

Likewise, Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Director Katie Huffman has noted, “Libraries have long served as stewards of free speech, and we are proud and passionate to be a part of that tradition.”

One of my family’s most enduring favorites is “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame; in which he recounts the adventures of four friends, Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and the irascible Toad; on the river and in the wild woods. 

A particularly memorable passage, which is slightly abridged here, occurs when Rat convinces land-bound Mole to step into his boat and enjoy a day on the river.

Rat says, “Believe me, my young friend; there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. In them, or out of them, it doesn’t matter. Nothing seems really to matter; that’s the charm of it. Whether you arrive at your destination, or you reach somewhere else; or whether you never get anywhere at all, you’re always busy.”

Memorable Commencement Speeches:

In his 2014 commencement address at the University of Texas, Austin, retired Four-Star Admiral, William McRaven, provided this advice to the graduates: “If you want to change the world, start off each day by making your bed.”

He added, “You will have completed the first task of the day. That little sense of pride and achievement will encourage you to complete another task; and another, and another. And that will reinforce the fact that even the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things well, you won’t do the big things well.” 

Prior to appointment as Chancellor of The University of Texas System, his career included service as Head of the U.S. Special Operations Command; where he is known for orchestrating the mission, and leading the Navy SEAL team that conducted the successful 2011 raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

An international celebrity, and another amphibian, gave the 1996 commencement address at Long Island University’s Southampton College School of Environmental Science. After acknowledging the importance of the environmental sciences in preserving the world’s ecosystems, Kermit the Frog (yes, really!) advised the graduates, “Never lose sight of the fact that you are not just saving the environment; you are saving the homes and lives of so many of my relatives.” He closed his address with the challenge, “You are no longer tadpoles. The time has come for you to drop your tails and leave this swamp.”

President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden walk up Pennsylvania Ave. after the Inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Reflections on the Inauguration:

There were several points in this two-day event at which I felt tears welling in my eyes. Thank you, Mr. President, and Madame Vice President. We needed that. 

I have been impressed with President Biden’s religious piety, and his pride in his family’s working-class background. He has experienced great loss in his past. His ability to convert that loss into honest and sincere empathy was demonstrated in his words on Tuesday evening, as the 400 lights around the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool were lit to remember and honor the 400,000 Americans, who have died from COVID-19.

“To heal, we must remember,” Biden said. His predecessor, in contrast, never really acknowledged the tragic loss of life. 

In addition, a magnificent illuminated display of 200,000 American flags stood in the National Mall, to honor the COVID deaths. They were also in recognition of those thousands and thousands of people unable to attend the Inauguration in person amid the pandemic, and due to the intense security put in place after the violent attack on the Capitol.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (third from left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (fourth from left) and their families walk up Pennsylvania Avenue after the Jan. 20 Inauguration.

President Biden was joined on the Capitol platform by former President(s) Barack Obama, George W. Bush, William Clinton, and former Vice President Mike Pence along with the former First (or Second) Ladies. President Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who are age 96 and 93, respectively, were unable to attend the Inauguration, but had called then-President Elect Biden the night before.

President Trump refused to attend the Inauguration and bear witness to the ceremonial transfer of power, thus becoming the first outgoing president in over 150 years to leave the city before his successor had been sworn in. 

In his inaugural address, President Biden recognized the attempted insurrection, but asserted, “Democracy has prevailed.” He called for Americans to unite and confront the perilous challenges before them:- a deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and divisions over American leadership.

The then-President-elect had told supporters as he departed from Delaware on Tuesday for Washington and the Inauguration, “These are dark times, but there’s always light.”

Marine One flies over Washington DC carrying former President and First Lady Donald and Melania Trump for the last time.

My hopes for this new Administration:

The President has promised to use the Defense Production Act and redouble the federal government’s support of COVID testing, vaccine production, and vaccine distribution.

He has also promised that the COVID-relief package passed at the end of 2020 was only a down-payment and that greater relief would be on the way. Keep your eye on the ball, Mr. President.

I hope this Administration will move beyond governance by Executive Order and actually pass some legislation.  

Finally, it is time to restore America’s greatness, its dignity, and its world leadership.

This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

Tom Gotowka

About the author: Tom Gotowka’s entire adult career has been in healthcare. He’ will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK.

A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Jan. 20 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Old Lyme Climb by Four to 226; Lyme’s Hold at 68

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

LYME/OLD LYME — Old Lyme’s COVID-19 cumulative case numbers since the pandemic began rose by four to 226 over the previous day’s (222) in the report issued Wednesday, Jan. 20, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) while Lyme’s cumulative total held at the previous day’s number of 68.

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.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021 shows the following:

Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the state-identified ‘Red Zone;’ where they have been for the past several weeks.

As of the Jan. 20 report, only three towns in the state — Canaan, Cornwall and Warren — remain 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

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 220 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 226 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of FOUR in the cumulative number of confirmed cases over the number (216) reported Monday, Jan. 18, and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases reported the same day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,242.

There have been two fatalities in Old Lyme.

CT DPH Two-Weekly Report

The Jan. 20 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 12/27/20 through 01/09/21, Old Lyme had 34 cases in Week 1 and 19 in Week 2. This data was updated Jan. 14, 2021.

The case rate in Old Lyme for 100,000 population is 51.4, reflecting an increase from the previously reported two-week rate of 29.1. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

Lyme

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 63 confirmed cases and FIVE probable cases, making a TOTAL of 68 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the number of confirmed or probable cases from the numbers reported Monday, Jan. 18.

There have been no fatalities in Lyme.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,129.

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).

[table id=10 /]

CT DPH Two-Weekly Report

The Jan. 19 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 12/27 through 01/09/21, Lyme had 13 cases in Week 1 and 11 in Week 2. This data was updated Jan. 14, 2021.

The case rate in Lyme for 100,000 population is 78.3 reflecting a increase from the previously reported two-week-rate of 36.7. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

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 Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.

Death of Stephen A. Zrenda Jr. Announced; Brother of Marian Landry, Jerry & Joe Zrenda, All of Old Lyme

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EDMOND, OKLA. – Stephen A. Zrenda Jr. entered eternal life Jan. 16, 2021. He was born in New London Aug. 2, 1945, the son of Stephen A. Zrenda and Dorothy A. Zrenda.

He attended St. Bernard High School, an exceptional student athlete, well known for his varsity basketball and baseball accomplishments. He was duly inducted into the SBHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

He was recruited by UConn for basketball and baseball and played alongside standout players Wes Bialosuknia, Bill Holowaty, and Tom Penders …

… Brothers and sisters include Ellen Chandler (Bruce) of East Lyme; Jerry Zrenda (Karen) of Old Lyme; Joanne Z. Moore (Joe) of East Lyme; Marian Landry (Art) of Old Lyme; Joe Zrenda of Old Lyme; and Laurie Zrenda of East Lyme.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published Jan. 21, 2021 in The Day.