Only 8 Towns Now In CT Coronavirus Red Zone

CONNECTICUT — For the first time since anyone has been keeping track, it is easier to list the number of municipalities that fall within the state's red zone than are outside of it.

From 54 towns last week, the number of towns in the red zone has dropped to just eight.

As of Thursday, only East Hartford, Hartford, Meriden, Morris, New Britain, Putnam, Thomaston and Waterbury have 15 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population.

Putnam on the state's western border has the highest infection rate, but most of the remaining red zone towns are still in the area of the Naugatuck valley.

Towns fall into the red zone when average daily cases exceed 15 per 100,000 population over a two-week average.

The color codes correspond to guidance from the state Department of Public Health about various activities.

Orange (10-14): Bloomfield, Bridgeport, Cromwell, Derby, East Haven, Hamden, Killingly, Ledyard, Lisbon, Manchester, Naugatuck, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Plainville, Prospect, Salem, Stratford, Willington and Windsor

Yellow (5-9): Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethel, Bolton, Branford, Bristol, Brookfield, Brooklyn, Burlington, Coventry, Danbury, Deep River, Durham, East Hampton, East Lyme, East Windsor, Enfield, Griswold, Groton, Haddam, Hebron, Litchfield, Marlborough, Middletown, Monroe, Montville, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, North Haven, North Stonington, Norwich, Plainfield, Plymouth, Redding, Rocky Hill, Seymour, Shelton, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stafford, Stamford, Suffield, Thompson, Torrington, Vernon, Wallingford, Waterford, Watertown, West Hartford, West Haven, Wethersfield, Winchester, Windham, Windsor Locks, Wolcott and Woodbury

The remaining towns are categorized as gray, and have less than five cases per 100,000 population.

There were three COVID-19-related deaths this past week in nursing homes, one at RegalCare at New Haven, and two at Lord Chamberlain Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Stratford. One COVID-19 fatality was also reported at The Village at South Farms in Middletown.

See Also: Jennifer Dulos' Family Releases New Statement On Disappearance

• CT Coronavirus Milestone: Positivity Rate Drops Below 1%
• Fiscally Strong CT Needs Residents To Get Back To Work: Lamont

The number of Connecticut students infected with the coronavirus fell 48 cases in the past week, to 223, an 18 percent drop. The number of infections among school district staff also fell, by 12 cases, to 13.

The number of schools with students attending in-person fell by 29 percent, to 160.