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March 10 COVID-19 Update: Only 12 Towns Remain in Red Case Rate Zone, Old Lyme Goes Orange After 15 Red Weeks; One New Case in OL Takes Cumulative Case Total to 1041, Lyme Holds at 256 for Sixth Day

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This map, updated March 10, 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 Orange (second highest) Zone while Lyme remains in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Only 12 towns (representing a total of 7.1% 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 —In extremely encouraging news, the March 10 COVID Case Rate map above 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

The Daily Data Report issued Thursday, March 10, 2022, around 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Old Lyme. This is likely a correction since the cumulative case total of 1041 reported March 10 was previously reported on March 8, prior to a drop to 1040 on March 9.

The cumulative case total in Lyme remains at 256 for the sixth day.

The last day that no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 9 and prior to that, it was March 4. That, in turn, was the first time since Thursday, Feb. 24, and the previous time before that when no new cases were reported in either town was Thursday, Dec. 12, 2021.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Friday, March 11, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate on Thursday, March 10, fell marginally from 2.07% on March 9  to 1.79%. This is the first time the positivity rate has fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.

On March 9, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased by 7 from 162 to 155.

Of those hospitalized that day, 67 (representing 43.2%) are not fully vaccinated.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,615, according to the New York Times.

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 598 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 669 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 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

You can 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. No new cases were reported on March 4, 7, 8, 9 or 10.

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

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: 1

Old Lyme Harbor Commission Accepting Online Applications for 2022 Moorings in Town Waters

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Photo by Sereja Ris on Unsplash.

OLD LYME — The Old Lyme Harbor Commission is now accepting applications for 2022 moorings in Town waters.

This year marks a transition to a web-based system, replacing the legacy paper forms. In addition to streamlining the operation,  process improvements include the option to pay electronically. The cost is $40 for the annual permit, and Proof of Tackle Compliance provided by a qualified Inspector is required.

Beginning in May, the Harbor Master will commence routine checks of the mooring fields of the Local Waters.

Boaters are reminded that moorings without valid permits and/or those that do not comply with the Old Lyme Harbor Ordinance standards for placement or identification may be removed from service without notice, and the associated removal and storage costs will be the owner’s responsibility.

Additional information is available at 2022 Mooring Permit.

Any questions regarding the process can be sent via e-mail to Tom Meyer at HMCMoorings@oldlyme-ct.gov

A la Carte: Twice the Usual Feast Today:- First Maple Gooey Butter Cake, Then Whole Coconut Curry Chicken

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Lee White

Column #1

All winter, friends have been wailing about winter. When will it be over? Will summer ever come? Others complain about the cold. Some have slipped on ice. 

For me, winter on the Connecticut shoreline isn’t bad.

I grew up in Troy, N.Y. Went to college in Ithaca and Rochester, and lived and worked in Worcester, Mass.

Even the isolation during the pandemic wasn’t bad for me. I read a lot, I write a lot, I cook a lot, I learned about HGTV. My daughter installed Roku on my television.

And I get all my food magazines. 

Last week, my new Bon Appetit arrived and the cover showed a pale green cake topped with chocolate glaze showered with pale green powder. But the recipe called for mochiko (or sweet rice flour) and matcha. So I called Christine, who owns Fromage in Old Saybrook. “Oh, Lee,” she said, “I just sold the last package,” and said she’d have more by the end of the week.

Obviously, I wasn’t the only shoreline denizen who saw the magazine’s cover photo.

The next day I got my copy of Yankee magazine and saw a recipe requiring all the ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator. Wait until you try this one.

Maple Gooey Butter Cake
From Amy Traverso, Yankee magazine, March/April 2022, page 60
Yield: 12 servings

For the cake:
1 cup salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan*
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan*
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup  maple syrup, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the topping:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup maple syrup, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon maple extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set a rack in the middle position. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of butter, then sprinkle with some flour, tilting the dish to coat evenly. Discard excess. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a medium ball, whisk together I cup melted butter, maple syrup, egg and vanilla. Add butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until evenly combined. Use your hands to press this mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Now, prepare the topping: Using a stand or handheld mixture, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Add maple syrup and maple extract (if using). Beat until smooth.

Pour topping over the cake base. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is puffed but still jiggles slightly when you shake it, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

*I use PAM in the blue can for baking instead of buttering and flouring a baking pan.

Column #2

Almost eight years ago, I sold my big old 1690 cape and moved to a condo. And while I miss the house, without my husband, who died in 2009, I couldn’t keep up with the what an old house requires to stay gorgeous. 

Generally speaking, a condo is just fine for me, especially during the fall (raking all those leaves) and winter (shoveling all that snow). But this winter, with too much snow, the company hired for the complex couldn’t begin to do a good job.

Good thing I always have a refrigerator full of leftovers.

Last week I ate chili three different meals and made my new favorite: pasta with summer-frozen basil pesto, lots of little  tomatoes, tiny frozen sweet peas from Trader Joe’s and flurries of grated good parmesan.

But what I was hunkering for was chicken with red curry and coconut milk, and during those snowy days I couldn’t get into my garage to buy a chicken.

In the meantime, I found a recipe on the internet I had not made before. A few days later, I tried this recipe, adding carrots and fresh cauliflower: Using one pot, a can opener and a good knife, I had four more yummy dinners.

Whole Coconut Curry Chicken

Adapted from Modern Proper
Yield: serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole chicken (about 3 ½ pounds)
2 tablespoons salt
2 cans unsweetened coconut milk, divided
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 cup cauliflower florets (optional)
1 cup carrots, cut into ½ inch dice (optional)
1 lime, zest and juice
Cooked rice for serving

Rinse and pat chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. Discard anything inside the cavity. Salt inside and out.

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown chicken until skin is golden and crispy on both sides. Remove chicken from the pot.

Add 1 can coconut milk, curry paste, onions, garlic and ginger. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes over medium heat.

Uncover and add peppers (or any other vegetables you might like), lime zest and juice, the second can of coconut milk and continue to cook, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. 

When you are ready to serve, either shred the chicken or quarter the chicken from the carcass and serve in a bowl along with the broth and rice.

About the author: Lee White has been writing about restaurants and cooking since 1976 and has been extensively published in the Worcester (Mass.) Magazine, The Day, Norwich Bulletin, and Hartford Courant. She currently writes ‘Nibbles’ and a cooking column called ‘A La Carte’ for LymeLine.com along with the Shore Publishing and Times newspapers, both of which are owned by The Day. She was a resident of Old Lyme for many years but now lives in Groton, Conn. Contact Lee at leeawhite@aol.com.

Old Lyme Girls Bow Out of State Tourney, But With Heads Held High

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Wildcat senior Megan Loflin advances towards the hoop preparing to make a lay-up. All photos by A. Fenton.

OLD LYME — In the words of their coach Don Bugbee, “The [Old Lyme] girls played their hearts out against a very talented and deep Immaculate team,” on Tuesday evening, but at the final buzzer of the the CIAC Class S Girls quarter-final game, the scoreboard read 53-43 in favor of Immaculate.

Senior Melanie Warren #11 contests a shot.

Playing at home, the girls put up a determined fight and were ahead 17-15 at the end of the first  quarter. The battle then began in earnest and the ‘Cats were behind 27-25 at the half, and then 38-31 at the end of the third quarter.

Senior Ali Kyle sinks a three-pointer for Old Lyme.

Although Old Lyme was seeded #10 and Immaculate #15, the two teams are hardly evenly matched. According to Mike Mauro in an article published March 8 in The Day, “[Immaculate’s] school website lists that it attracts students from 26 towns and two states [and t]his season, Immaculate’s schedule allowed it to play nine different schools of Class L or LL designation. Old Lyme played one.”

Junior Alexis Fenton with ball sets the play.

 Top Old Lyme scorers were freshman Kate Walsh with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals, junior Alexis Fenton with 14 points and senior Megan Loflin with 13 points, 15 rebounds and two steals.

Bugbee told LymeLine by email after the game, “We had an outstanding season overall when you step back and look at it.” Describing the team as an, “Outstanding group of girls,” he concluded proudly, “My thanks and appreciation for what they did all season goes out to each one of them. It was my privilege to coach them.”

Lyme, Old Lyme Boards of Selectmen Lift Mask Mandates in Town Buildings

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LYME/OLD LYME — The Lyme Board of Selectmen has announced that, effective March 1, masks will be recommended to be worn in Town facilities by all employees and visitors, but no longer required.  In addition:

  • Town board and commission chairs have the authority to set mask-wearing rules for their committee meetings and to continue with virtual or hybrid meetings.
  • Individual employees have the authority to set mask rules in their offices and facilities.
  • Organizations using Town facilities may set their own masking rules.

The Old Lyme Board of Selectmen has also voted to remove the mask mandate for Town buildings as of March 7. Masks are now optional at Old Lyme Town Hall.,