CT Coronavirus Red Zones Nearly Double In Past Week

CONNECTICUT — The number of Connecticut towns in the COVID-19 red zone has nearly doubled, from last week's 39 to 73 this week, in the most recent data released from the Department of Public Health.

The color codes correspond to guidance from the state DPH. Populations in the red zone have reported 15 or more cases per 100,000 over a 2-week average.

Ansonia, Ashford, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bridgeport, Bristol, Brooklyn, Chaplin, Cheshire, Cromwell, Derby, East Hampton, East Hartford, East Haven, Easton, Fairfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Griswold, Groton, Hartford, Harwinton, Hebron, Killingworth, Lebanon, Ledyard, Manchester, Meriden, Middlebury, Middletown, Milford, Montville, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Newington, Newtown, North Branford, North Haven, North Stonington, Norwich, Orange, Plainfield, Plymouth, Portland, Preston, Prospect, Rocky Hill, Seymour, Shelton, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Sprague, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Voluntown, Wallingford, Waterbury, Waterford, Watertown, West Hartford, West Haven, Westport, Wethersfield, Willington, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Wolcott and Woodbury now occupy the coronavirus red zone in Connecticut.

One zone down in "orange" are Avon, Barkhamsted, Bozrah, Brookfield, Burlington, Canton, Chester, Colchester, Columbia, Darien, Durham, East Granby, East Lyme, Enfield, Greenwich, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Killingly, Lisbon, Madison, Marlborough, Middlefield, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Milford, Norwalk, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Oxford, Plainville, Redding, Ridgefield, Salem, Simsbury, Southbury, Sterling, Stonington, Suffield, Thomaston, Tolland, Vernon, Westbrook, Weston, Wilton, Winchester and Windham. These municipalities have reported 10-14 cases per 100,000 over a 2-week average.

During a news conference Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont said the number of red zone areas would continue to grow at least short-term, due to the spread of the more transmissible delta variant in the state.

The more serious complications of the coronavirus spread in Connecticut were being kept in check by the state's high vaccination rate, according to Lamont. Residents are five times more likely to be hospitalized and suffer complications if they are unvaccinated, according to the governor, and ten times more likely to find themselves in hospital's intensive care unit.

Third shots of the COVID-19 vaccine became available for immunocompromised residents this week.

The federal government announced plans Wednesday to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all U.S. adults as soon as next month, saying that recent data, including some made available only in the past few days, played a role in that decision. The rollout would begin the week of Sept. 20.

States are still awaiting U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization for use of COVID-19 vaccines on those under 12-years-old. Lamont said he does not anticipate any problems with future vaccine rollouts in the state, as were experienced earlier this year, as there are now 600 permanent and 30 mobile locations in Connecticut offering walk-up vaccinations daily.

As of Thursday, Connecticut residents who have received at least one dose by age group includes 97 percent of those over the age of 65, 87 percent of those between 55-64, 78 percent of those between 45-54, 76 percent of those between 35-44, 67 percent of those between 25-34, 64percent of those between 18-24, 73 percent of those between 16-17 and 60 percent of those between 12-15.

Vaccinations of the current youngest, and now most crucial, eligible age tier, residents 12-15, are up two percentage points from last week. Other age tiers show minimal movement.

At the current pace, a very little over 50 percent in that tier will be fully vaccinated by the time school opens in about a week.

Those vaccination rates vary widely across the state, with the western portion of Connecticut being much more thoroughly inoculated than the eastern population.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control placed Fairfield County in the "High Transmission" category of COVID-19. Fairfield is the fifth county in the state to be upgraded to the High Transmission category.

New Haven, Hartford, New London, and Middlesex Counties also are listed as High Transmission—the other three Connecticut counties are still classified by the CDC as being in the "Substantial Transmission" category.