Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, formerly known as 2019-nCoV. Photo courtesy of the CDC.
LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Tuesday, March 16, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 15, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began increased by four in Old Lyme to 298 and held steady in Lyme at 91 when compared with the numbers reported Monday, March 15.
This means Lyme has reported the same number of 91 cumulative cases for a full week now.
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 17.
Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up Four
Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 291 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 298 cases.
This represents an INCREASE of FOUR in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases compared with those reported Monday, March 15.
The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,835, up 10 from the Monday’s number of 4,825.
Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases
Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 84 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 91 cases.
This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Monday, March 15. This number of 91 cases was first reported Tuesday, March 9, and has not changed since.
The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,302, an increase of one over Thursday’s number of 1,301.
Old Lyme Moves Back into Yellow (Lowest but One) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone
The report issued Friday, March 12, 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 disappointing news for both Lyme and 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 18.
It shows that Old Lyme has moved back into the (second lowest) Yellow Zone from the (lowest) Gray Zone reflecting an increased case two-week case rate over the previous week.
Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases.
(Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)
Overall, the report contains fairly good news for the whole state with the number of towns in the Gray and Yellow Zone increasing this week (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses) but the Orange Zone shows an increase:
- 25 (18) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
- 11 (10) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
- 30 (36) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.
All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone, but this still represents a dramatic improvement from the map published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.
This report shows that Old Lyme now joins 10 other towns — Bolton, Columbia, Farmington, Granby, Marlborough, Morris, New Hartford, Portland, Simsbury, South Windsor, and Willington — in the Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone.
The Gray (lowest rate) Zone includes Andover, Ashford, Barkamsted, Bethany, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chaplin, Colebrook, Cornwall, Deep River, Eastford, Franklin, Goshen, Hartland, Morris, North Canaan, Norfolk, Roxbury, Salem, Sprague, Scotland, Sharon, Voluntown, Warren, and Washington,
- 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.
More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates
LLHD Director of Health Stephen Mansfield
On Thursday, March 11, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) 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 are encouraged to see relatively steady 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 11, for the period 2/21 to 3/06 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/07 to 2/20) have increased in both Old Lyme and Lyme.
The two-week case rates are as follows:
- Old Lyme from 4.8 to 6.8
- Lyme from 15.3 to 18.3
The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 2/14 to 2/27 (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/07 to 2/20 shown in parentheses) are as follows:
- Lyme had 3 (2) cases in Week 1 and 3 (3) in Week 2
- Old Lyme had 2 (2) cases in Week 1 and 5 (3) in Week 2
This data was updated March 11, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 18.
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 marginally ahead of Lyme in terms of the percentage of its total population that have received a first dose, with 35.94 percent vaccinated compared with 33.12 percent in Lyme. The percentages for both towns for the age segments 65-74 and 75+ are very encouraging with Old Lyme now having 96.22 percent of seniors 75 and above having received their first dose and 83.58 percent of the same age segment having received it in Lyme.
The detailed data below is the most recent and was updated March 8.
Old Lyme
Total population: 7,306
Estimated population age 65-74: 1,067
Estimated population age 75 and above: 794
Total population 1st dose administered: 2626 (2,115)
1st dose administered as % of total population: 35.94% (28.95%)
1st dose administered age 65-74: 945 (835)
1st dose administered as % of age 65-74 population: 88.57% (78%)
1st dose administered age 75 and above: 764 (730)
1st dose administered as % of age 75 and above population: 96.22% (92%)
Lyme
Total population: 2,316
Estimated population age 65-74: 372
Estimated population age 75 and above: 274
Total population 1st dose administered: 767 (605)
1st dose administered as % of total population: 33.12% (26.12%)
1st dose administered age 65-74: 281 (244)
1st dose administered as % of age 65-74 population: 75.54% (66%)
1st dose administered age 75 and above: 229 (222)
1st dose administered as % of age 75 and above population: 83.58% (81%)
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 have added 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).
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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.
LYME/OLD LYME — The 
