Monthly Archives: February 2022

Feb. 22 COVID Update: No New Cases in Lyme, Old Lyme; Cumulative Case Totals Hold Respectively at 253, 1025

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LYME-OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, around 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health(CT DPH) shows no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in either Lyme or Old Lyme. This means the cumulative case total for Old Lyme holds at 1025 while the equivalent number in Lyme stays at 253.

According to our records, this is the first time since Thursday, Dec. 12, that no new cases have been reported in either town.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by the state Tuesday, Feb. 22, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate on Tuesday, Feb. 22, rose to 3.51%.

The number of COVID-related hospitalizations held steady at 261.

Of those hospitalized, 128 (representing 49.0%) are not fully vaccinated.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,374.

Statewide Data

In the Feb. 17 COVID Case Rate map, the total number of towns in the Red (highest) Zone for case rates has fallen by 11 since last week to 153, with 10 towns in the state —Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Hartland, Morris, Roxbury, Scotland, Sherman, Union, and Warren — now in the Gray (lowest) Zone and six — Bethlehem, Essex, New Fairfield, Sharon, Washington, and Woodbury — in the Orange (lowest but one) Zone.

This number of 153 is equivalent to 90.5% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

All the towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) are in the Red Zone.

Old Lyme is in the Red (highest) Zone for the 13th consecutive week: prior to this, the last time Old Lyme was in the Red Zone was Sept. 30, 2021.

Lyme is in the Red Zone for the 11th week in succession.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, Feb. 24 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The color-coded zones are:

  • Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
  • Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
  • Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
  • Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

Extracts from the Feb. 17, 2022 CT DPH report

As of Feb. 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from Feb. 2, 2022)

  • Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 167,783 (163,170)
  • Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 2,640,845 (2,628,772)
  • Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.35% (6.21%)

For the week beginning Feb. 06, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from Jan. 26, 2022)

  • Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 3.1 x greater (3.1 x greater)
  • Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 18.1 x greater (15.2% x greater)

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 582 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443 — that number had stood unchanged for a week since the previous Thursday, Nov. 4.

On Aug. 26 — which was the day Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year — Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have now been 653 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 139 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

All the towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), of which both Lyme and Old Lyme are members, are in the Red Zone. In the past two weeks, Lyme has had 18 new cases while Old Lyme has reported 53.

In an email sent Thursday, Feb. 17, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Although the number of new cases and hospitalizations continues to decrease, we are still experiencing high average daily case rates, and a continued focus on preventing transmission is important.”

He continues, “Based on the current level of community transmission, both the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the CDC continue to recommend that everyone wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status.”

Finally, he states, “LLHD continues to focus our vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously. Information about vaccination opportunities can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/.”

COVID testing opportunities can be found at COVID-19 Testing | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org)

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/

The next Ledge Light update is due Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There has been one COVID-related fatality of a Lyme resident: a 57-year-old male passed away Nov. 16, 2021. On Nov. 30, the state finally included this fatality in its data

Four COVID-related fatalities have now been reported in Old Lyme. The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

Details of the third and fourth fatalities, which were reported respectively in 2021 and on Feb. 4, 2022, have not been made available.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Update

Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing , but LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser said in a Jan. 4 email to the school community that he, “… will continue to notify the school community of any positive cases of COVID-19 that impact the schools.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below. This week is Winter Break for LOL Schools and so no further case reporting will be announced until Monday, Feb. 28.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools closed Dec. 23, 2021 and reopened Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 after the winter break meaning no new cases were reported by the schools during that period. We are no longer including positive cases impacting LOL schools between Aug 26, 2021 (the first day of the 2021-22 academic school year) and Dec. 23, 2021 (the last day of school before winter break began), in this report. During that period contact tracing was still required.

View the full listing of cases during that period (8/26/21 – 12/23/21) at this link.

The listing below is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

The following abbreviations are used in the lists below: LOLHS: Lyme-Old Lyme High School, LOLMS: Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten

Friday, Feb. 18
Total: LOLMS: 1, MC: 1

Thursday, Feb. 17
Total: 1,  MC: 1

Wednesday, Feb. 16
Total: 6, LOLMS: 3

Monday, Feb. 14
Total: 6, LOLMS: 2, MC: 3, Lyme: 1

Sunday, Feb. 13
Total: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 1

Friday, Feb. 11
Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, CS: 1

Thursday, Feb. 10
Total: 2, Lyme: 1, CS: 1

Wednesday, Feb. 9
Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, MC: 1

Tuesday, Feb. 8
Total: 0

Monday, Feb. 7
Total: 3, Lyme: 1, MC: 1, CS: 1

Sunday, Feb. 6
Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1

Friday, Feb. 4
Total: 5, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 2

Thursday, Feb. 3
Total: 1, Lyme: 1

Wednesday, Feb. 2
Total: 3, MC: 3

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Total: 1, MC: 1

JANUARY 2022
Monday, 1/31: Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1
Sunday, 1/30: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/28: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, 1/27: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, Lyme: 2
Wednesday, 1/26: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, MC: 2
Tuesday, 1/25: Total: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/24:Total: 9, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1, MC: 4, CS: 1
Sunday, 1/23:Total: 3, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 2
Friday, 1/21:Total: 8, LOLHS: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Thursday, 1/20: Total: 5, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1, Lyme: 3
Wednesday, 1/19: Total: 7, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 4, CS: 1
Tuesday, 1/18: Total: 7, LOLHS: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/17: Total: 6, Lyme: 4, MC: 2
Friday, 1/14: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, 1/12: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLMS: 1
Monday, 1/10: Total: 3, CS: 1, Lyme: 2
Sunday, 1/9: Total: 2, MC: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/7: Total: 1, MC: 1:
Thursday, 1/6: Total: 7, LOLHS: 5, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, 1/5: Total: 14, LOLHS: 6, MC: 1, Lyme: 3, CS: 4
Tuesday, 1/4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 4, CS: 1

Duck River Garden Club Presents Talk on Sustainable Gardening, This Evening

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OLD LYME — On Wednesday, Feb. 23, Duck River Garden Club (DRGC) hosts Nancy Ballek to present a talk titled, “10 Months of Blooms Through Sustainable Gardening.”

The format for the meeting, which will be held at Old Lyme Town Hall, will be as follows:
6:30 p.m. Social
7 p.m. Program
8 p.m. Business meeting for members
This free DRGC program is open to the public. All are welcome to come enjoy their programs and find out more about Old Lyme’s own gardening club.

SECWAC Hosts Zoom Presentation on Challenges Facing Asylum Interviewees, Tonight

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Professor Karolin Machtans

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 6 p.m., the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) hosts Professor Karolin Machtans, who will give a presentation titled, “The Representation of Asylum Interviews in Contemporary Literature and Film of Refuge.”

Machtans is Associate Professor of German Studies, Chair of the Department of German at Connecticut College.

Due to concerns about COVID, this program will be available only virtually via Zoom.

The presentation is free to SECWAC members and $20.00 to non-SECWAC members. (Register at this link.)

The asylum interview is the most important part of the asylum procedure and decides the outcome of the asylum application. During the interview, asylum applicants are expected to present their reasons for flight in a coherent and convincing manner, and are “obliged to tell the truth at all times” (USCIS).

Yet what exactly is considered a “true” story?

Analyzing the representation of asylum interviews in contemporary literature and film of refuge, Professor Karolin Machtans argues that the outcome of the asylum process ultimately depends on the applicant’s ability to tell a credible, coherent, and convincing story tailored to the narrative rules of the receiving country – narrative rules with which most asylum seekers are not familiar.

Machtans is an Associate Professor and Chair of German Studies at Connecticut College.  She is the author and co-editor of several books, including “Hitler – Films from Germany: History, Cinema, and Politics since 1945 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

She has published numerous articles in the fields of Holocaust studies, refugee and (forced) migration studies, multilingualism, right-wing extremism, and Muslims and Islam in Germany.

Machtans is currently working on new research projects about language discrimination as well as the representation of transnational families in contemporary literature of refuge.

Editor’s Note: Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council is a regional membership organization. Its members include a diverse group of regional citizens with backgrounds in education, medicine, law, business, academia, media, humanitarian, civic organizations, and beyond. Government officials, as well as active ­duty and retired military personnel, are also active members. SECWAC happily accepts those interested in foreign policy and world affairs from any walk of life. For more information on membership of SECWAC, visit this link.

Death Announced of Carlene Desautels Landry of Old Lyme

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OLD LYME — Carlene Desautels Landry of Old Lyme passed away Jan. 28, 2022, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London with family by her side.

Carlene was born Oct. 16, 1946, in Putnam …

In 1967 she married Thomas Landry, also of Putnam, and in 1970 they moved to Old Lyme with their daughter Lauren. While living in Old Lyme they had two additional children Brian and Gregg. Carlene was predeceased by Brian who passed away in 1998 …

Carlene is survived by her husband of 55 years, Thomas Landry; daughter Lauren Landry of Canterbury; son Gregg Landry and wife Lori of Old Lyme; grandchildren Alexander, Charlotte and Grant Wojcik …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published Feb. 2, in The Day.

‘Estuary’ Magazine of Old Lyme Celebrates Second Anniversary with Spring 2022 Edition 

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The cover of the Spring 2022 ‘estuary’ magazine.

OLD LYME — Estuary Magazine, Life of the Connecticut River, founded in 2020 by Estuary Ventures of Old Lyme, Conn., celebrates its second anniversary with the publication of its Spring 2022 issue available by subscription or at select retail venues the first week of March. 

Estuary is a unique publication and the only magazine dedicated to the watershed of the Connecticut River, an area twice the size of the state itself.

The source of the 409-mile-long river is near the Canadian border in New Hampshire; it flows down along the border between New Hampshire and Vermont, passing through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut to the estuary, below Middletown, Conn., with Old Saybrook and Essex on the west side, and Old Lyme and East Haddam on the east side. 

Estuary covers the watershed: its history, wildlife, plant life, recreation, conservation, restoration, art and culture.  The people and the future of the Connecticut River are captured in fascinating articles and award-winning photography.

A magazine has thus been created to reflect the rich diversity of the Connecticut River valley, its people, and its potential with content directed to the interests of the more than 2 million people, who live in the watershed. 

“We want our readers to enjoy the Estuary experience and learn through the stories, photographs and other images.,” says Dick Shriver, founder and publisher of the magazine.

He adds, “With regard to conservation and restoration, we believe that as more people learn about the challenges faced by the watershed in lay terms, more people will volunteer and contribute talent and other resources to the care of this special natural resource.”

Estuary’s readership now numbers in the thousands, more than double the number a year ago.  Advertising pages have also more than tripled in the past year.

“Our advertising partners understand and applaud Estuary’s mission and their support demonstrates their commitment to protect, preserve and restore the Connecticut River watershed,” explains Laura Lee Miller, Director of Advertising for estuary.

A story on the Lyme Land Trust can be found in the Spring 2022 edition of ‘estuary’ magazine.

Estuary works closely with the CT River Conservancy (CRC) in Greenfield, Mass.  Headed by Dr. Andrew Fiske, CRC and estuary collaborate to support the work of CRC and other non-profits operating for the benefit of the watershed.  

Thanks to a grant directed to help the magazine, all 700 participants in Lyme Land Trust’s May 22 event, the Tour de Lyme, will receive a free copy of the Spring 2022 issue.  

“The magazine itself is the best marketing tool we have,” notes Shriver, “and the more copies we can put in peoples’ hands, the more support we will have for Estuary and awareness of the work to be done.” 

An example of the type of articles found in estuary is this piece by the late Eleanor Robinson, titled, Meeting of the Waters.

Estuary magazine, is published quarterly and is available in print and online for $40 per year (four issues).  Subscribe now or give as a gift. For either option, visit this link:  https://estuarymagazine.com/subscribe/