Monthly Archives: March 2021

March 24 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Lyme Up One to 94, Old Lyme’s Hold at 303

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Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19. Photo courtesy of the CDC.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Wednesday, March 24, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 23, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began were UNCHANGED in Old Lyme at 303 but INCREASED BY ONE in Lyme to 94 when compared with the numbers reported Tuesday, March 23.

It should be noted that Monday reports always include data for the previous three days because reports are not issued on Saturdays or Sundays. The reporting period is 24 hours for all the other days reports are issued (Tuesday through Friday.)

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

The report shows that Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 296 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 303 cases.

This represents no change in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Tuesday, March 23.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,888, an increase of eight  over the number of 4,886 reported Monday.

Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 86 confirmed cases and 8 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 94 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE  in the cumulative number of probable cases compared with those reported Monday, March 22.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,317, an increase of one over Monday’s number of 1,316.

Old Lyme Moves Back into Orange (Second Highest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Drops to Gray (Lowest) Zone

The report issued Tuesday, March 23, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Lyme but bad news for Old Lyme.

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated Thursday, March 11; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved back into the Orange (second highest) Zone for two-week new case rates, but Lyme has fallen into the Gray (lowest) Zone.

Last week, Old Lyme was in the (second lowest) Yellow Zone and so this change reflects an increased two-week case rate over the previous week. In contrast, Lyme was in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases — last week and has now dropped to the lowest. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains mixed news for the whole state with the number of towns in the Gray and Yellow Zone decreasing this week (the previous week’s figures are shown in parentheses), but the Orange Zone shows an increase:

  • 22 (25) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 9 (11) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 33 (30) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone, but this still represents an obvious improvement from the map published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone. The numbers are concerning however, in that the trend appears to be that cases are not continuing to decrease at this point.

Lyme joins 21 other towns in the Gray (lowest rate)  Zone including Ashford, Bozrah, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chaplin, Colebrook, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Goshen, Hampton, Hartland, Kent, New Canaan, North Stonington, Norfolk, Pomfret, Scotland, Union, Voluntown, and Warren.

The Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone includes Barkamsted, Colchester, East Windsor, Essex, Lisbon, Portland, Simsbury, Somers and Willington.

  • 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.
  • The yellow 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 between five and nine reported cases.
  • The orange 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 between 10 and 14.
  • 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.

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

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated yesterday, Thursday, March 11; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

LLHD Director of Health Stephen Mansfield

On Thursday, March 18, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We continue to see relatively steady case numbers within our jurisdiction.”

He stresses, however, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is still imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies.”

The latest two-week case rates announced Thursday, March 18, for the period 2/28 to 3/13 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/21 to 3/06) have increased in Old Lyme and decreased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 6.8 to 13.6
  • Lyme from 18.3 to 9.2

The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 2/28 to 3/13  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/21 to 3/06 shown in parentheses) are as follows:

  • Lyme had 3 (3) cases in Week 1 and 0 (3) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 9 (5) in Week 2

This data was updated March 18, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

Vaccination Rates

At the request of several readers, we have started a new section reflecting the status of community vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme. The data is taken from the COVID-19 Vaccinations by Town report published by CT-DPH, which is published roughly weekly.

Old Lyme is ahead of Lyme in terms of the percentage of its total population that have received a first dose, with 42.02 percent vaccinated compared with 34.59 percent in Lyme. The percentages for both towns for the age segments 65-74 and 75+ are very encouraging with Old Lyme now having 100.38 percent of seniors 75 and above having received their first dose and 75.18 percent of the same age segment having received it in Lyme. Editor’s Note: We are skeptical of these figures for Lyme since they show the numbers vaccinated decreasing compared with last week. We are investigating further.

The detailed data below is the most recent and was updated March 15.

Old Lyme
Total population:  7,306
Estimated population age 65-74:  1,067
Estimated population age 75 and above:  794

[table id=12 /]

Lyme
Total population:  2,316
Estimated population age 65-74:  372
Estimated population age 75 and above:  274

[table id=11 /]

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

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 /]

Editor’s Note: 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. In light of the ongoing rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

March 23 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Lyme Up One to 93, Old Lyme’s Hold at 303

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LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Tuesday, March 23, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 22, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began were UNCHANGED in Old Lyme at 303 but INCREASED BY ONE in Lyme to 93 when compared with the numbers reported Monday, March 22.

It should be noted that Monday reports always include data for the previous three days because reports are not issued on Saturdays or Sundays. The reporting period is 24 hours for all the other days reports are issued (Tuesday through Friday.)

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Wednesday, March 24.

Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

The report shows that Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 296 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 303 cases.

This represents no change in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Monday, March 22.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,886, an increase of seven  over the number of 4,879 reported Monday.

Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 86 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 93 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE  in the cumulative number of probable cases compared with those reported Monday, March 22.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,316, an increase of two over Monday’s number of 1,314.

Old Lyme Moves Back into Orange (Second Highest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Drops to Gray (Lowest) Zone

The report issued Monday, March 22, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Lyme but bad news for Old Lyme.

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated Thursday, March 11; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved back into the Orange (second highest) Zone for two-week new case rates, but Lyme has fallen into the Gray (lowest) Zone.

Last week, Old Lyme was in the (second lowest) Yellow Zone and so this change reflects an increased two-week case rate over the previous week. In contrast, Lyme was in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases — last week and has now dropped to the lowest. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains mixed news for the whole state with the number of towns in the Gray and Yellow Zone decreasing this week (the previous week’s figures are shown in parentheses), but the Orange Zone shows an increase:

  • 22 (25) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 9 (11) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 33 (30) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone, but this still represents an obvious improvement from the map published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone. The numbers are concerning however, in that the trend appears to be that cases are not continuing to decrease at this point.

Lyme joins 21 other towns in the Gray (lowest rate)  Zone including Ashford, Bozrah, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chaplin, Colebrook, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Goshen, Hampton, Hartland, Kent, New Canaan, North Stonington, Norfolk, Pomfret, Scotland, Union, Voluntown, and Warren.

The Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone includes Barkamsted, Colchester, East Windsor, Essex, Lisbon, Portland, Simsbury, Somers and Willington.

  • 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.
  • The yellow 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 between five and nine reported cases.
  • The orange 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 between 10 and 14.
  • 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.

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

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated yesterday, Thursday, March 11; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

LLHD Director of Health Stephen Mansfield

On Thursday, March 18, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We continue to see relatively steady case numbers within our jurisdiction.”

He stresses, however, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is still imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies.”

The latest two-week case rates announced Thursday, March 18, for the period 2/28 to 3/13 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/21 to 3/06) have increased in Old Lyme and decreased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 6.8 to 13.6
  • Lyme from 18.3 to 9.2

The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 2/28 to 3/13  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/21 to 3/06 shown in parentheses) are as follows:

  • Lyme had 3 (3) cases in Week 1 and 0 (3) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 9 (5) in Week 2

This data was updated March 18, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

Vaccination Rates

At the request of several readers, we have started a new section reflecting the status of community vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme. The data is taken from the COVID-19 Vaccinations by Town report published by CT-DPH, which is published roughly weekly.

Old Lyme is ahead of Lyme in terms of the percentage of its total population that have received a first dose, with 42.02 percent vaccinated compared with 34.59 percent in Lyme. The percentages for both towns for the age segments 65-74 and 75+ are very encouraging with Old Lyme now having 100.38 percent of seniors 75 and above having received their first dose and 75.18 percent of the same age segment having received it in Lyme. Editor’s Note: We are skeptical of these figures for Lyme since they show the numbers vaccinated decreasing compared with last week. We are investigating further.

The detailed data below is the most recent and was updated March 15.

Old Lyme
Total population:  7,306
Estimated population age 65-74:  1,067
Estimated population age 75 and above:  794

[table id=12 /]

Lyme
Total population:  2,316
Estimated population age 65-74:  372
Estimated population age 75 and above:  274

[table id=11 /]

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

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 /]

Editor’s Note: 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. In light of the ongoing rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

Old Lyme Boys Exit Shoreline Basketball Tournament with Loss to Valley, Despite Remarkable Comeback Effort

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DEEP RIVER — The Old Lyme boys ended an exciting season Tuesday when they lost to Valley Regional 65-56 in the quarterfinals of the Shoreline Conference tournament.

Playing away, Old Lyme had a nervous start and was down 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Wildcats continued to fall behind and found themselves on the wrong side of a 37-19 score at the half.

Early in the third quarter, things got even worse and Valley advanced to a 21-point lead.

But then Old Lyme finally came to life and fought back with grim determination, eventually reducing the lead to just four points. The comeback was almost complete when, in Coach Kirk Kaczor’s words, “The boys just ran out of gas.”

Colbe Andrews led the Wildcats with 16 points, while Jacob Ritchie added 14.

Valley was led by Jeremy Arnum with 21 points and James Marsden, who scored 17.

Old Lyme Planning Commission Opposes CT Bills on Affordable Housing Currently Being Considered by Legislature

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OLD LYME — The following is the text of a letter being sent to various Connecticut House Representatives and State Senators by the Old Lyme Planning Commission. These include State Rep. Devin Carney (R-23rd) and State Senator Paul Formica (R-30th), both of whose Districts include Old Lyme.

Dear Legislator: 

The Old Lyme Planning Commission supports the development of Affordable Housing (AH) in the town of Old Lyme.  This has been stated in the Town’s Plan of Conservation & Development. Zoning regulations must be modified and developed to support affordable housing yet maintain the rural and historic character of the Town.

There are unidentified affordable housing units in Town which qualify as affordable but do not have deed restrictions. Prior to any new legislation being considered, it is necessary to redefine affordable housing to ascertain what already exists in each community but is not identified under the current definition. Enacting legislation without regard to what could currently be considered to be existing affordable housing is premature and unrealistic.

Currently, two bills being considered by the Connecticut legislature (SB-1024 and SB-804) are intended to promote the construction of affordable housing in all Connecticut municipalities.  The bills would eliminate local control over most accessory dwelling units and over most multi-family housing.  If adopted, these bills would limit local control to only single-family homes.  Local municipalities would have no authority to influence the affordable housing process, including the preservation of the town’s historic appearance and rural character. 

As written, the two pieces of legislation are a one-size-fits all scenario.  The character of shore-line communities are in sharp contrast to communities in the middle of the state and also to communities in the northeast and northwest corner of the state.  Anyone making decisions concerning affordable housing that does not live within the community will not demonstrate ownership toward the character of the town.  Therefore, residence will likely be left with a housing structure based on a contractor’s priorities that will not reflect the local character of the community.  

The timing of the bills is suspect.  Available information indicates that the bills were drafted in January but not released until recently.  This appears to be an attempt to push a bill through legislation while “while under the radar.”  This commission considers this to be a disingenuous attempt by some in the legislature.  

It should also be noted that the Chairman of the Planning Commission is also a member of an Affordable Housing Task Force that has provided guidelines to the Selectman’s office for the creation of an Affordable Housing Commission that will facilitate the development of affordable housing on currently available property and the development of additional housing where feasible. 

The Old Lyme Planning Commission opposes bills SB-1024 and SB-804 in their current form. The Old Lyme Planning Commission is of the opinion that local review of any new construction is paramount to maintaining the character of the local community. 

Sincerely,

Town of Old Lyme Planning Commission,
Old Lyme.

Old Lyme Boys Win Shoreline South Indoor Track Championship, Girls Take Second

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Sophomore Jacob Rand tied for second place in the high jump in Saturday’s Indoor Track Shoreline Championship. All photos by David Walker.

OLD LYME — Competing in what was effectively their Shoreline Championship this past Saturday, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Indoor Track teams achieved commendable results with the boys’ team coming in first and the girls taking second.

Due to COVID precautions, the meet had a very different look from usual. To reduce the number of competitors at any time, the traditional All-Shoreline meet was divided into two separate events with one being held for Northern Shoreline schools and the other featuring Southern Shoreline schools.
Old Lyme hosted the Southern meet in which six teams participated, namely Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Valley, Hale Ray, and Morgan.

Senior Aidan Powers, who was one of the boys’ captains, gets the team pumped up in a pre-meet huddle. Powers also placed first place in the 600 meters and was part of the winning 4×200 relay.

There were three different meet slots to further reduce the number of people on the track so from 9 to 11 a.m., Westbrook competed against Valley; from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Old Lyme and Morgan faced off; and from 1 to 3 p.m., Old Saybrook and Hale Ray took their turn.
At the end of the day, the results were compiled and winners announced.
Old Lyme had 13 first-place finishers, which also garnered each winning student the accolade of “First Team All-Shoreline.”

Senior Paige Kolesnik won the shotput and was also part of the winning sprint medley relay team.

The first-place winners were:
  • the girls’ sprint medley relay team of Bianca DaSilva, Paige Kolesnik, Alyssa Spooner, and Kelly Walsh
  • the girls’ 4 x 400 relay team of Alyssa Spooner, Gretchen Burgess, Hannah Britt, and Lyla Powers
  • the boys’ 4 x 200 relay team of Ashton Gratton, Nevin Joshy, Jesper Silberberg, and Aidan Powers
  • Paige Kolesnik in the girls’ shotput
  • Jesper Silberberg in the 55-meter dash
  • Aidan Powers in the 600 meters
  • Drew St. Louis in the pole vault and long jump
  • Harry Whitten in the shotput.
A number of other runners, jumpers and throwers also achieved significant success.
Asked his thoughts on both the results and the season in general, first-year coach Nick Walker (LOLHS Class of 2012) commented, “I couldn’t be prouder of our athletes. They have dealt with so much adversity this year: having normal high school landmarks canceled, being unable to hang out with friends, having to keep distance from one another, quarantining and missing weeks of school and sports at a moment’s notice … the list goes on.”

The boys’ and girls’ teams gather for a photo to celebrate their respective results.

He noted that although the season technically should have started in late November, “That was when we were going through that massive COVID-19 spike and so all winter sports were postponed.” Walker added, “It seemed unlikely at that point that we’d ever be able to have a season, but we were able to finally start in late January while taking lots of precautions.”
Noting that even when training started in January, the idea that the team would ever have any competitive meets seemed unlikely, Walker said, “These kids have had to be so patient, so willing to face whatever happens with equanimity.”
He continued, “Yet from the start of the season I was blown away by their work ethic and good cheer during a season that could have also been seen as a let-down and full of limitations. They were out there practicing on windy days in the mid-20s, bundled up as they were running track repeats and freezing their hands off throwing the shotput.”
“To come from such a situation to now having competitive competitions and placing so well at our final meet,” Walker said, noting, “I feel very glad for them. I think it goes to show the strength of their commitment to the team and sport, and also the lightness and playfulness of their spirit that they could enjoy what this season had to offer while pushing themselves to improve and learn more.”
Walker explained that many athletes tried out new events for the first time, such as the long jump, hurdles, pole vault, and high jump, and ultimately ended up placing in the tournament and contributing key points for the team.

Senior and a girls’ team captain Bianca DaSilva runs the 200-meter leg of the winning sprint medley relay team.

He also shared that he felt senior class also played, “A huge role in our successful season: first off by contributing so much hard work and athleticism in their events, but even more so by the positive and welcoming and fun atmosphere they helped foster on the team. They will certainly be very missed come next year.”
Pointing out that he looked forward to welcoming most of them back to Outdoor Track this spring, he noted, “We will lose some very strong runners and throwers to other spring sports.”
Walker concluded positively, “Overall, it’s been a real joy to coach these athletes alongside my co-coaches Alyssa Mercaldi and Garreck Seales. We’ve been continually impressed by this group of kids and are so glad for them that they have this fantastic performance to celebrate.”