Coronavirus CT: Latest Schools, Red Zones, Infection Rate Info

CONNECTICUT — As the state moves closer to a major reopening milestone, all the normal indicators are supporting Gov. Ned Lamont's decision to drop capacity restrictions on most businesses next week, even if some abnormal indicators are giving some in the science community pause.

On March 19, many businesses including restaurants (close at 11 p.m. and eight-person table limit), retail stores, offices, gyms and houses of worship will revert to normal capacity limits. Mask mandates, social distancing and cleaning protocols will remain in effect. Social gathering sizes at private residences and commercial venues will be increased as well.

The loosening of restrictions comes as the coronavirus positivity rate continues to loiter below 3 percent, after a rocky start to the new year. Hospitalizations, another key indicator, are at their lowest point since the very beginning of November.

But at least one Yale epidemiologist is worried that the governor is underestimating the damage some new strains of the virus will do. What's got the concern and attention of Nathan Grubaugh, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health, is the B.1.1.7. strain of the coronavirus, more commonly known as the U.K. variant. By all accounts, it is spreading quickly. On Monday the state reported 15 new cases, bringing the total to 81, and the first local death from the new strain.

Red Zone Map Lightening Up

More towns are dropping off the state's red alert level for coronavirus infections. Towns fall into the red zone when average daily cases exceed 15 per 100,000 population over a two-week average — 103 of 169 towns are still in the red zone, but this is an improvement from a point where nearly every town except a few sparsely populated ones were red.

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

Orange (10-14): Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bozrah, Canton, Chester, Colchester, East Lyme, East Windsor, Ellington, Essex, Griswold, Harwinton, Manchester, Middletown, Montville, New Britain, Plymouth, Pomfret, Ridgefield, Somers, Stafford, Stonington, Thompson, Tolland, Torrington, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Winchester

Yellow (5-9): Bolton, Columbia, Farmington, Granby, Marlborough, New Hartford, Old Lyme, Portland, Simsbury, South Windsor, Willington

Gray (less than five): Andover, Ashford, Barkhamsted, Bethany, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chaplin, Colebrook, Cornwall, Deep River, Eastford, Franklin, Goshen, Hartland, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salem, Scotland, Sharon, Sprague, Voluntown, Warren, Washington

An additional 23 schools have ramped up to full in-person learning last week — a 13 percent improvement. That corresponds to the drop in reported COVID-19 cases among students and school staff. In the past week, there 8 percent fewer staff cases reported, and 6 percent fewer among the student populations.