This map, updated May 12, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme remain in the Red (highest) Zone. One hundred and forty five towns (representing a total of 93.5% of the state) are now found 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. Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper.
LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Thursday, May 12, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows a total of 13 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and three in Lyme.
These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1182 and Lyme’s to 287.
On Thursday, May 12, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 158 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.
This number has increased by 13 over the 145 towns recorded in the Red Zone last week, thus increasing the number of towns in the Red Zone to 93.5% of the state.
This total of 158 Red Zone towns is moving rapidly towards the Jan. 27, 2022 number, when the total was 168 out of 169 towns.
As of May 12, 2022, all nine towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remain in the Red Zone. The LLHD is no longer issuing reports with updated Case Rates and other metrics.
The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, May 19 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.
The color-coded zones on the map above 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
CDC Places All Eight CT Counties in COVID-19 High ‘Community Transmission’ Category
New London, Fairfield Counties are in Medium ‘Community Level’ Category, All Other Counties are High
Map issued May 13 by the CDC showing Community Transmission levels in Connecticut. Map courtesy of CDC.
On May 13, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed all eight Connecticut counties as having “High” Community Transmission (see map above).
Map issued May 13 by the CDC showing Community Levels in Connecticut. Map courtesy of CDC.
On May 13, the CDC listed six Connecticut counties in the “High” category as part of its COVID-19 Community Levels Map (see above). Only Fairfield and New London Counties are listed in the “Medium” category.
The COVID-19 Community Levels map—which was launched in late February—informs CDC recommendations on prevention measures, such as masking and testing. The guidelines include a color-coded system available on the CDC website of “Low,” “Medium” and “High.”
This approach focuses on preventing hospitals and health care systems from being overwhelmed and directing prevention efforts toward protecting people at high risk for severe illness.
“This latest update comes as no surprise considering the trajectory that this latest omicron sub-variant is taking,” said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “And I cannot stress enough that the tools to combat this virus are in place and easily accessible. These include vaccines, first and second boosters, Test to Treat locations, therapeutics, self-tests and state-supported testing.
Residents who live in New London (which includes Lyme and Old Lyme) and Fairfield Counties—which is listed in the Yellow/Medium Category—who are at high risk for severe illness in these counties should talk to their health care providers about when they need to wear a mask and take other precautions. These residents should also stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms.
Residents living in the High/Orange categories—Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, Tolland and Windham Counties—should wear a mask indoors in public; stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms. Additional precautions may be needed for residents who are at high risk for severe illness.
More on the Local Situation
April 5, 2022 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either town.
Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported in Lyme on March 25.
Prior to April 5, the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 24. There were also no new cases on March 9 and 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.
Statewide Situation – Daily Update
The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate broke the 10% watershed on May 4 at 10.32%. It has now broken the 13% mark — Thursday’s rate of 13.24% is the state’s highest recorded COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate since Jan. 25, 2022 when the Rate stood at 13.74%.
On May 12, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased to 291 from the 300 recorded on May 11.
In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.
Of those hospitalized on May 12, the number not fully vaccinated was 102 (representing 35.05%).
The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut held at 10, 883 on May 12, according to The New York Times.
The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Friday, May 13, around 4 p.m.
Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021
The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 739 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 810 new cases there since that date.
Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 173 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.
Ledge Light Health District Update
The LLHD is no longer issuing weekly updates unless there is, “any significant change in case rates, hospitalizations, etc.”
On April 14, LLHD sent LymeLine.com this press release issued by CT DPH the same day. It begins: With the current uptick of COVID-19 cases—coupled with the upcoming schedule of spring holidays and family gatherings—the Connecticut Department of Public Health is reminding residents of the tools currently in place to help contain the spread of the virus.
The new Community Levels tool created by the CDC can be viewed at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
Ledge Light Health District continues to focus its 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/.
An explanation of the new CDC Community Levels tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.
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/
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.
COVID-19 Situation in LOL Schools
Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing.
LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained the latest developments in LOL Schools COVID protocols in an email dated April 1 to the school community, saying, “As noted in my email of February 17, 2022, beginning April 1, 2022 we will no longer report daily COVID-19 cases in the schools.”
He then stated, “For the remainder of this school year, that information will be complied on a weekly basis and will be available on our website at the following link: https://www.region18.org/parents/covid-data.”
Details published to date show the following number of positive cases in LOL Schools by week.
April 3-9: 0
April 10-16: 0
April 17-23: Spring Break
April 24-30: 7
May 2-7: 27
May 8-14: 41
The total number of cases recorded in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week May 8-14 was 51, indicating the majority of cases had a connection to Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.
For a summary of cases in LOL Schools between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2022, visit this link.
View a full listing of cases between 8/26/21 – 12/23/21 at this link.
OLD LYME — The Old Lyme Historical Society Inc. (OLHSI) presents a talk on the History of Artisan Tiles this evening, Thursday, May 12, at 7 p.m. at the Society’s building at 55 Lyme St. in Old Lyme.
LYME/OLD LYME — The 