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March 21 COVID-19 Update: Two Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Total to 1050, Lyme Holds at 256

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash,

LYME-OLD LYME —The Daily Data Report issued Monday, March 21, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows an increase of two in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme taking the town’s cumulative case total to 1050.

No new cases were reported in Lyme, leaving the cumulative case total at 246 meaning March 21 is the 20th consecutive day on which no new cases have been reported in Lyme.

The most recent day that no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 9.  There were also no new cases on March 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Tuesday, March 22, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

The most recent, weekly COVID-19 Case Rate Map, which was released Thursday, March 17, by CT DPH indicates that only nine municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. This number has fallen by three from 12 since last week:- the nine Red Zone towns are Eastford, Guilford, Ledyard, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Salem, Weston, and Westport.

This reflects a further reduction in the number of towns in the Red Zone since late January. On Jan. 27, the total was 168 out of 169 towns and by Feb. 17, the total was 153. By Feb. 24, it had fallen to 87; on March 3, the total was 23, and and last week on March 12, it was 12.

However, Alex Putterman asks in an article published March 17, in The Hartford Courant, Is another COVID-19 wave on the way? Connecticut experts ‘watching very carefully’ for BA.2 omicron subvariant, suggesting it is not yet time to let down our guard in respect of COVID precautions.

The March 17 total of nine is equivalent to 5.3% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

As of March 17, New London and Ledyard are the only towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remaining in the Red Zone. Two are in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- Stonington and East Lyme. Three are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone:- Old Lyme,  Groton, and Waterford, while Lyme and North Stonington are in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The weekly report dated March 17 for the nine member towns of the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) shows that Old Lyme has the sixth highest Daily Case Rate at 17.8% behind New London, Ledyard, East Lyme, Stonington and Waterford.

Lyme is in 8th equal and lowest place with North Stonington for Daily Case Rates at 0% with both towns recording less than five cases reported in the past two weeks.

The next weekly LLHD report will be issued Thursday, March 24.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, March 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. 24, 2022 CT DPH report

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate on Monday, March 21, decreased marginally from 2.73% on March 18 to 2.49%. The March 10 rate of 1.79% was the most recent time the positivity rate had fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.

On March 21, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations increased by five from 92 to 97. In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on March 18, 43 (representing 44.3%) are not fully vaccinated.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,723, according to the New York Times.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

As of March 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 9, 2022)

Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 175, 490 (174,207)
Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 2,687,029 (2,679,485)
Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.53% (6.5%)

For the week beginning March 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from Feb. 27, 2022)

Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 3.0 x greater (2.4 x greater)
Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 16.0 x greater (15.9 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 607 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 678 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 142 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

Two towns (Ledyard and New London) 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 less than 5 new cases while Old Lyme has reported 8 — the previous week’s numbers were respectively less than 5 and 13.

In an email sent Thursday, March 10, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”

He continues, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”

He adds, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
  • Get tested if you have symptoms

View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.

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/.”

An explanation of the new 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/

The next Ledge Light update is due Thursday, March 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 Feb. 17 email to the school community that, “Through the end of March we will continue to send daily COVID-19 case numbers for those who are interested in tracking this information.”

He added, “Beginning in April, we will report these numbers on a weekly basis.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.

During Winter Break for LOL Schools, no case reporting was announced until Monday, Feb. 28. Schools are now back in session. One new case was reported on March 2 and another on March 3. In further good news, no new cases were reported on March 4, or March 7-12. One new case was reported on each day of March 13, 14, 16 and 20.

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

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten

Sunday, March 20
Total: LOLHS: 1

Wednesday, March 16
Total: LOLHS: 1

Monday, March 14
Total: CS: 1

Sunday, March 13
Total: LOLHS: 1

Thursday, March 3
Total: LOLHS: 1

Wednesday, March 2
Total: LOLHS: 1

FEBRUARY 2022
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:

March 18 COVID-19 Update: Two Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Total to 1048, Lyme Holds at 256

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

LYME-OLD LYME —The Daily Data Report issued Friday, March 18, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows an increase of two in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme taking the town’s cumulative case total to 1048.

No new cases were reported in Lyme, a single case leaving the cumulative case total at 246 meaning March 18 is the 19th consecutive day on which no new cases have been reported in Lyme.

The most recent day that no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 9.  There were also no new cases on March 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Monday, March 21, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

The most recent, weekly COVID-19 Case Rate Map, which was released Thursday, March 17, by CT DPH indicates that only nine municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. This number has fallen by three from 12 since last week:- the nine Red Zone towns are Eastford, Guilford, Ledyard, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Salem, Weston, and Westport.

This reflects a further reduction in the number of towns in the Red Zone since late January. On Jan. 27, the total was 168 out of 169 towns and by Feb. 17, the total was 153. By Feb. 24, it had fallen to 87; on March 3, the total was 23, and and last week on March 12, it was 12.

However, Alex Putterman asks in an article published March 17, in The Hartford Courant, Is another COVID-19 wave on the way? Connecticut experts ‘watching very carefully’ for BA.2 omicron subvariant, suggesting it is not yet time to let down our guard in respect of COVID precautions.

The March 17 total of nine is equivalent to 5.3% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

As of March 17, New London and Ledyard are the only towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remaining in the Red Zone. Two are in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- Stonington and East Lyme. Three are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone:- Old Lyme,  Groton, and Waterford, while Lyme and North Stonington are in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The weekly report dated March 17 for the nine member towns of the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) shows that Old Lyme has the sixth highest Daily Case Rate at 17.8% behind New London, Ledyard, East Lyme, Stonington and Waterford.

Lyme is in 8th equal and lowest place with North Stonington for Daily Case Rates at 0% with both towns recording less than five cases reported in the past two weeks.

The next weekly LLHD report will be issued Thursday, March 24.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, March 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. 24, 2022 CT DPH report

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate on Friday, March 18, increased marginally from 2.40% on March 16 to 2.73%. The March 10 rate of 1.79% was the most recent time the positivity rate had fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.

On March 18, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased by eight from 100 to 92. In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on March 18, 37 (representing 40.2%) are not fully vaccinated.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,717, according to the New York Times.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

As of March 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 9, 2022)

Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 175, 490 (174,207)
Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 2,687,029 (2,679,485)
Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.53% (6.5%)

For the week beginning March 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from Feb. 27, 2022)

Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 3.0 x greater (2.4 x greater)
Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 16.0 x greater (15.9 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 605 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 676 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 142 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

Two towns (Ledyard and New London) 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 less than 5 new cases while Old Lyme has reported 8 — the previous week’s numbers were respectively less than 5 and 13.

In an email sent Thursday, March 10, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”

He continues, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”

He adds, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
  • Get tested if you have symptoms

View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.

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/.”

An explanation of the new 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/

The next Ledge Light update is due Thursday, March 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 Feb. 17 email to the school community that, “Through the end of March we will continue to send daily COVID-19 case numbers for those who are interested in tracking this information.”

He added, “Beginning in April, we will report these numbers on a weekly basis.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.

During Winter Break for LOL Schools, no case reporting was announced until Monday, Feb. 28. Schools are now back in session. One new case was reported on March 2 and another on March 3. In further good news, no new cases were reported on March 4, or March 7-12. One new case was reported on each day of March 13, 14 and 16.

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

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten

Wednesday, March 16
Total: LOLHS: 1

Monday, March 14
Total: CS: 1

Sunday, March 13
Total: LOLHS: 1

Thursday, March 3
Total: LOLHS: 1

Wednesday, March 2
Total: LOLHS: 1

FEBRUARY 2022
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:

March 17 COVID-19 Update: Only Nine Towns Remain in Red Case Rate Zone in CT; Two Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Total to 1046, Lyme Holds at 256

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This map, updated March 17, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme is now in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone while Lyme remains in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Only nine towns (representing a total of 5.3% 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 — On Thursday, March 17, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (above), which indicates that only nine municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. This number has fallen by three from 12 since last week:- the nine Red Zone towns are Eastford, Guilford, Ledyard, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Salem, Weston, and Westport.

This reflects a further reduction in the number of towns in the Red Zone since late January. On Jan. 27, the total was 168 out of 169 towns and by Feb. 17, the total was 153. By Feb. 24, it had fallen to 87; on March 3, the total was 23, and and last week on March 12, it was 12.

However, Alex Putterman asks in an article published March 17, in The Hartford Courant, Is another COVID-19 wave on the way? Connecticut experts ‘watching very carefully’ for BA.2 omicron subvariant, suggesting it is not yet time to let down our guard in respect of COVID precautions.

The March 17 total of nine is equivalent to 5.3% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

As of March 17, New London and Ledyard are the only towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remaining in the Red Zone. Two are in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- Stonington and East Lyme. Three are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone:- Old Lyme,  Groton, and Waterford, while Lyme and North Stonington are in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The weekly report dated March 17 for the nine member towns of the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) shows that Old Lyme has the sixth highest Daily Case Rate at 17.8% behind New London, Ledyard, East Lyme, Stonington and Waterford.

Lyme is in 8th equal and lowest place with North Stonington for Daily Case Rates at 0% with both towns recording less than five cases reported in the past two weeks.

The next weekly LLHD report will be issued Thursday, March 24.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, March 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

The Daily Data Report issued Thursday, March 17, by CT DPH shows an increase of two in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme taking the town’s cumulative case total to 1046.

This number likely includes correction of an error since CT DPH was reporting a cumulative case total of 1045 on March 14 and 15. Then on Wednesday, March 16, the number was reduced to 1044, but on March 17, it has risen again to 1046.

Our experience is that a reduction in the total is generally an error, which is then corrected in a day or two. This appears to be the case once again.

Similarly in Lyme, a single case takes the cumulative total back to 256, which was the number previously reported daily from March 3 through 14 inclusive. On March 15 and 16, the number was reduced to 255, but on March 17, the total has now been restored to 246.

For our reporting purposes, we will say that March 17 is the 16th consecutive day on which no new cases have been reported in Lyme.

The most recent days that no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme were March 9, March 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Friday, March 18, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate on Thursday, March 17, increased marginally from 2.31% on March 16 to 2.40%. The March 10 rate of 1.79% was the first time the positivity rate had fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.

On March 17, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations increased by two from 98 to 100. In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on March 17, 43 (representing 43.0%) are not fully vaccinated.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut held at 10,677, according to the New York Times.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

As of March 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 9, 2022)

Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 175, 490 (174,207)
Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 2,687,029 (2,679,485)
Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.53% (6.5%)

For the week beginning March 16, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from Feb. 27, 2022)

Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 3.0 x greater (2.4 x greater)
Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 16.0 x greater (15.9 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 603 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 674 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 142 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

Two towns (Ledyard and New London) 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 less than 5 new cases while Old Lyme has reported 8 — the previous week’s numbers were respectively less than 5 and 13.

In an email sent Thursday, March 10, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”

He continues, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”

He adds, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
  • Get tested if you have symptoms

View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.

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/.”

An explanation of the new 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/

The next Ledge Light update is due Thursday, March 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 Feb. 17 email to the school community that, “Through the end of March we will continue to send daily COVID-19 case numbers for those who are interested in tracking this information.”

He added, “Beginning in April, we will report these numbers on a weekly basis.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.

During Winter Break for LOL Schools, no case reporting was announced until Monday, Feb. 28. Schools are now back in session. One new case was reported on March 2 and another on March 3. In further good news, no new cases were reported on March 4, or March 7-12. One new case was reported on each day of March 13, 14 and 16.

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

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten

Wednesday, March 16
Total: LOLHS: 1

Monday, March 14
Total: CS: 1

Sunday, March 13
Total: LOLHS: 1

Thursday, March 3
Total: LOLHS: 1

Wednesday, March 2
Total: LOLHS: 1

FEBRUARY 2022
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:

March 15 COVID-19 Update: No New Cases in Old Lyme Keep Cumulative Case Total at 1045, Lyme Shows Reduction to 255

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LYME-OLD LYME —The Daily Data Report issued Tuesday, March 15, 2022, around 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows no new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme keeping the town’s cumulative case total at 1045.

The cumulative case total in Lyme has been reduced to 255. Our experience is that a reduction in the total is generally an error, which will be corrected in a day or two. For our reporting purposes, we are going to say that this is the 11th consecutive day on which no new cases have been reported. We will not adjust our numbers to reflect the reduction yet on the assumption it will be corrected.

The most recent days that no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme were March 9, March 4, and Feb. 24. The previous time prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Wednesday, March 16, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate on Tuesday, March 15, increased marginally from 2.57% on March 15 to 2.88%. The March 10 rate of 1.79% was the first time the positivity rate had fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.

On March 15, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased by 8 from 121 to 113.

Of those hospitalized that day, 42 (representing 37.2%) are not fully vaccinated.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,675, according to the New York Times.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

In extremely encouraging news, the March 10 COVID Case Rate map shows that the total number of towns in the Red (highest) Zone for case rates has fallen by 11 since last week to 12. This reflects a dramatic fall in the number of towns in the Red Zone since late January. On Jan. 27, the total was 168 out of 169 towns and by Feb. 17, the total was 153. By Feb. 24, it had fallen to 87, and last week on March 3, the total was 23.

The March 10 total of 12 is equivalent to 7.1% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

As of March 10, only two towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remain in the Red Zone: East Lyme and New London. Four are in the Orange (second highest) Zone: Old Lyme,  Ledyard, Stonington and Waterford. Two are in the Yellow (second lowest), and Lyme remains in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

This is the first time Old Lyme has fallen out of the Red (highest) Zone for 15 consecutive weeks.

When looking at the weekly report dated March 10 for the nine member towns of the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), Old Lyme has the third equal highest Daily Case Rate at 12.7% behind East Lyme at 19.3% and New London at 31.4%.

In contrast, however, Lyme, is in 9th and lowest place for Daily Case Rates at 0% with less than five cases reported in the past two weeks.

The next weekly LLHD report will be issued Thursday, March 17.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, March 17 — 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. 24, 2022 CT DPH report

As of March 9, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 2, 2022)

Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 174,207 (172,677)
Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut:  2,679,485 (2,668,072)
Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.5% (6.47%)

For the week beginning Feb. 27, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from Feb. 20, 2022)

Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 2.4 x greater (3.1 x greater)
Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 15.9 x greater (17.5 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 602 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 673 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 142 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

Two towns (East Lyme and New London) 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 less than 5 new cases while Old Lyme has reported 13 — the previous week’s numbers were respectively less than 5 and 30.

In an email sent Thursday, March 10, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”

He continues, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”

He adds, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
  • Get tested if you have symptoms

View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.

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/.”

An explanation of the new 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/

The next Ledge Light update is due Thursday, March 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 Feb. 17 email to the school community that, “Through the end of March we will continue to send daily COVID-19 case numbers for those who are interested in tracking this information.”

He added, “Beginning in April, we will report these numbers on a weekly basis.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.

During Winter Break for LOL Schools, no case reporting was announced until Monday, Feb. 28. Schools are now back in session. One new case was reported on March 2 and another on March 3. In further good news, no new cases were reported on March 4, or March 7-12. One new case was reported on each day of March 13 and 14.

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

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten

Monday, March 14
Total: CS: 1

Sunday, March 13
Total: LOLHS: 1

Thursday, March 3
Total: LOLHS: 1

Wednesday, March 2
Total: LOLHS: 1

FEBRUARY 2022
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:

Biega Builds as a Job, But Also as a Valued Volunteer on Numerous Old Lyme Projects

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Project Construction Manager Ken Biega (left) stands with the Valley Shore-YMCA Director of Operations Tony Sharillo in the recently opened Brady Wellness Center in the ‘Y’ at Westbrook. Biega has served as a volunteer on numerous building committees in Old Lyme and consistently received high praise for his invaluable work on them. Photo submitted.

OLD LYME/WESTBROOK — You may not have heard the name Ken Biega, but metaphorically speaking, his fingerprints are all over numerous buildings in and around Old Lyme.

Soft-spoken and with a cheerful disposition, Biega has served as a volunteer on numerous building committees in Old Lyme including the construction of the Hains Park Boathouse at Rogers Lake and the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library renovation and expansion project.

He is currently a volunteer member of the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee.

Meanwhile, in a professional capacity as both the co-owner of Noble Construction & Management in Essex and a building construction manager with more than 30 years of experience, he has for the past six months been spearheading the extensive construction project for the Brady Wellness Center at the Valley-Shore YMCA — commonly known as the ‘Y’ — in Westbrook, Conn.

Biega, who has lived in Old Lyme since 1990, graduated from Wentworth College with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and has been in the construction business ever since. He joined O & G Industries in Torrington more than  32 years ago as a junior project engineer and steadily advanced through its ranks, rising to a manager, and then a senior executive in the firm.

In May 2021, Biega took a giant leap towards becoming his own boss when he joined Noble Construction. The founder, Ed Noble, was looking to retire and seeking someone to take over the successful business he had created. Biega stepped into that role as co-owner and the two men worked out all the financial arrangements for Biega to take full ownership over an agreed period in a series of steps.

While working at O & G, Biega was involved in numerous local school building projects including East Lyme High and Middle Schools, and all the schools in both Waterford and Westbrook. Further afield, he has taken on projects at Yale University, Wyndham High School and the Gunn School at Litchfield, Conn.

His first encounter with his hometown was when O & G was awarded the Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) High School construction project that was ultimately built after the initial proposal had been defeated at referendum. Wearing his O & G hat, Biega became an ex officio member of the Region 18 Building Committee in 2009 and played a significant part in guiding its members through the complexities and controversies of the high school project, which lasted through 2012 .

The exterior of the Fred Emerson Boathouse at Hains Park on Rogers Lake. Ken Biega was a key member of the building committee that oversaw its construction.

Shortly after the conclusion of that project, the Town of Old Lyme’s plan to construct a new boathouse at Hains Park on Rogers Lake began to take shape. Recalling Biega’s calm expertise throughout the lengthy LOL High School project along with his careful eye on costs, Mary Jo Nosal, who was serving as an Old Lyme Selectwoman at the time, asked Biega if he would be willing to serve on the boathouse committee.

He agreed … and in many ways, the rest is history.

Asked how Biega contributed to the boathouse project, Nosal replied, “[He] is a dependable and modest community asset, who never fails to respond with a self-effacing “Sure,” when asked to volunteer. Ken is an effective collaborator, who shares his deep expertise to ensure that every aspect of the project is addressed in the most cost-effective manner.”

She added, “Ken’s nature makes him approachable and respectful of others’ questions and opinions. His record of volunteerism includes leadership roles on [numerous] projects. He has been instrumental in building these gems in our community.”

Katie Huffman, Director of the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, welcomes guests to the inaugural event for the library’s new patio. Biega chaired the building committee for this project.

After the boathouse project, Biega became involved in the now-completed building and renovation project at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library in Old Lyme, which has totally transformed the facility. Library Director Katie Huffman explained his role saying, “Ken served as the Renewal Building Project Committee Chair from 2017 through 2021. Last fall, we retired the Renewal Building Project Committee and reinstated the Library Building Committee of which Ken is the chair.”

Describing how the project progressed, she said, “Working with Ken has been fabulous. He brings so much knowledge about the construction process to the table. I’m confident that his expertise has saved the library both time and money, and it’s freed up my time to focus more on library services.”

In further recognition of his service to the library, Biega was elected Vice-President of the Library Board for the current financial year.

The Lymes’ Senior Center on Town Woods Rd. in Old Lyme is the focus of an ongoing building committee, which is determining the future renovation design and possible expansion of the Center. Biega serves as volunteer on the committee and is an ‘incredible asset’ according to its chair, Jeri Baker.

The library project was hardly finished when Biega was asked to join the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee,  which had the charge to research the optimum way to renovate and possibly expand the Center. Jeri Baker of Old Lyme is both the chair of the Lymes’ Senior Center Board of Trustees and also head of its building committee. The project may still be in its infancy, but Baker already has a clear impression of the skills Biega is contributing to the project as a volunteer committee member.

She commented, “Ken is an incredible asset to the Senior Center Building Committee. His depth of knowledge and expert skill set makes him a valuable member of yet another effort to improve the lives of both the communities of Lyme and Old Lyme.”

Baker concluded succinctly — and with a chuckle, “He is such a team player on the committee … and also has a great sense of humor!”

The front entrance of the Valley Shore-YMCA in Westbrook. Photo by T. Sharillo.

As mentioned above, Biega’s most recent project in a professional capacity has been the construction of the Brady Wellness Center at the Westbrook ‘Y.’ This came about after the Prymus Pool suffered a catastrophic failure in 2015 that ultimately caused the permanent closure of the pool.

Immediately following the closure, the ‘Y’ conducted a community-wide needs assessment study to determine how it could best serve the community. Based on the survey data collected, the ‘Y’s’ Board of Directors decided to renovate the damaged pool area and transform the space into a state-of-the-art wellness center for community members of all ages to utilize.

Tony Sharillo, Director of Operations at the ‘Y’, explains the board’s vision was, “To create a Wellness Center that generated excitement and which the community could be proud of — the ‘Crown Jewel of the Shoreline’ in terms of wellness centers — with the immediate intention of enticing people to get back to being fit and healthy after all the challenges of the pandemic.”

Another view of the Brady Wellness center at the Y in Westbrook. Photo courtesy of the Valley Shore-YMCA.

To fund the renovations, the ‘Y’ set a capital campaign goal of $5.5 million, and despite the unexpected and severe impact of COVID-19, a remarkable $4.2 million has already been raised. This has been possible in part because, after its humble opening in 1974, the ‘Y’ has undergone four facility expansions and now serves more than 10,000 members each year, who make over 10 million visits.

The fundraising was kicked off by Robert “Bob” Brady, after whom the Center is named, with a major gift of $1.5 million from the Brady Family Foundation. Brady is the founder and former CEO of BLR® – Business & Legal Resources of Old Saybrook, and, according to Sharillo, “… believes in the Y and its impact on the community. Having experienced the importance of fitness in his own life, he wanted to share that belief with the community at large.”

The ‘Y’ set a challenging construction schedule back in July 2021 when Noble Construction was selected as the contractor, but, thanks in many ways to Biega’s guiding hand, the new Brady Wellness Center opened on both time and budget a few weeks ago.

There is no shortage of exercise machines on offer. Photo by K. Biega.

The Center offers a complete line of new cardiovascular equipment, free weights, selectorized equipment, a functional training area, and a sophisticated circuit training system, called MX4.

Asked how the project has progressed under Biega’s watchful eye, Sharillo replied, “ We’re very fortunate to have Ken as part of the team. He has been wonderful. We had a really aggressive timeline and he did everything he could to ensure that high quality was maintained… costs were managed effectively and all the sub-contractors held up their ends [in terms of their commitments.]”

In summary, Sharillo said of Biega, “I couldn’t have asked for a better contractor to work with. He really cared about the project. He was so hard working and incredibly generous with his time.”

The Center opened Feb. 21 this year, but an official ribbon-cutting is planned in a few months when all the final punch-list items have been completed. Sharillo noted that all donors to the Capital Campaign will be invited to the ceremony.

He also stresses that there is no additional charge to members of the ‘Y’ to use the new Brady Wellness Center, noting, “It’s all part of the package.”

The Brady Wellness Center offers a wide range of exercise equipment. Photo courtesy of the Valley Shore-YMCA.

The Center is now open for business and Biega will soon be working on another project. But he will doubtless continue his volunteer activities in Old Lyme, especially as the Lymes’ Senior Center project is in its very early stages.

Asked why he carries on with his significant volunteer work when he is not only about to become the sole owner of a thriving business but also has a wife and three children to consider, he says simply, “It makes me a part of the community and allows me to give back.”

Nosal puts it another way saying Biega has become such an asset to the Old Lyme community that, “Suffice to say, for any building project in Old Lyme, the common thinking is, ‘What would Ken do?'”

Editor’s Notes: i) For more information about the Brady Wellness Center, visit this link.
ii) For more information about Noble Construction & Management of Essex, visit this link.
iii) For more information about the Valley Shore-YMCA, visit this link.