This map shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. The Town of Old Lyme has moved into the Yellow Zone while Lyme remains 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.)
LYME/OLD LYME —The report issued Thursday, Feb. 25, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme.
It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second highest) Orange Zone down into the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week. Unfortunately, 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 more good news for the whole state with the following data for this week (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):
- 15 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
- 7 (4) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
- 28 (16) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.
All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone. This is, however, a dramatic improvement from the map we published back in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.
The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Feb. 25, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 24, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began held at the previous day’s numbers in both Old Lyme at 280 and in Lyme at 86.
The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 26.
More Details on Towns, Zones; Old Lyme Now in Yellow (Second Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone
The weekly report issued Thursday, Feb. 25, by the CT DPH for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks shows that Old Lyme now joins six other towns — Middlefield, Waterbury, Burlington, Bolton, Tolland and Granby — in the Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone.
The Gray (lowest rate) Zone includes Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, New Hartford, Norfolk, Scotland, Hartland, Barkamsted, Eastford, Franklin, Lisbon, Pomfret, Roxbury, and Warren.
- 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.
The next CT DPH Weekly Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 25.
Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases
Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 274 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 280 cases.
This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Wednesday, Feb. 24.
The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,680, up 21 from the previous day’s number.
Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases
Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 78 confirmed cases and EIGHT probable cases, making a TOTAL of 86 cases.
This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases over those reported Wednesday, Feb. 24.
The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,251, an increase of two over Tuesday’s number.
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.
More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates
On Thursday, Feb. 25, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see a moderate decrease in cases for the 6th consecutive reporting period, and are hopeful that this trend will continue.”
The latest two-week case rate announced Thursday, Feb. 25, for the period 2/7 to 2/20 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13) has fallen in Old Lyme but increased in Lyme.
The two-week case rates are as follows:
- Old Lyme from 11.6 to 6.8
- Lyme from 21.4 to 24.4
The same report shows that the number of cases in Week 1 and Week 2 recorded for the period 2/7 to 2/20 (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13 shown in parentheses) is as follows:
- Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 3 (5) in Week 2
- Old Lyme had 4 (9) cases in Week 1 and 3 (7) in Week 2
This data was updated Feb. 25, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for their District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.
Connecticut Hospital Occupancy
At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).
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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 serious 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 
LYME/OLD LYME — Both Old Lyme basketball teams scored major wins over perennial Shoreline rival Old Saybrook yesterday. Kirk Kaczor’s boys, playing away, only secured their 44-39 victory in the last minute whereas the girls dominated from the start in their home game, which ended with a 50-21 win.