Middlesex County Upgraded To 'High Transmission' COVID-19 Area

CONNECTICUT — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed Middlesex County in the COVID-19 "High Transmission" category.

The classification is the most severe as defined by the CDC, and is defined by 100 or more cases per 100,000 people, or a positivity rate of 10 percent or higher, over the past seven days.

Middlesex is the fourth county in the state to be upgraded to the High Transmission category, joining New Haven, Hartford and New London. The other four Connecticut counties are still classified by the CDC as being in the "Substantial Transmission" category, one tick down on the scale, at 50 to 100 cases per 100,000, or a positivity rate between 8 and 10 percent over the past seven days.

Due to the rapid increase in cases of the COVID-19 delta variant in the state over the last 14 days, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has recommended that all residents over age two years, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, return to wearing masks when in indoor public spaces.

Vaccinated and unvaccinated residents at high risk for complications from COVID-19, including those with compromised immune systems, diabetes, asthma, other lung diseases, pregnancy or obesity, should also avoid large indoor gatherings that may include a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, according to guidance from DPH.