3 More CT Towns Added To Highest COVID Alert Level

CONNECTICUT — After several weeks of decline, the number of Connecticut towns in the COVID-19 red zone has climbed by three towns, to 40, in the most recent data released from the state Department of Public Health.

Most of the high-infection towns are still in the eastern area of the state and Naugatuck Valley, while the lowest infection rates are typically found in the western cities and towns.

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

Those towns in the red category are: Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Brooklyn, Burlington, Canterbury, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, Griswold, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Meriden, Middlebury, Montville, Morris, Naugatuck, New Britain, North Canaan, North Stonington, Norwich, Oxford, Plainfield, Plainville, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Salem, Sharon, Sterling, Thomaston, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Waterford, Watertown, Weston and Woodstock.

Forty residents have died from COVID-19 associated illnesses over the past seven days, up from last week's report of 38 deaths.

Nationwide, coronavirus-associated deaths have been on the decline since Sept. 16, mirroring Connecticut's own arc. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 1,820 new deaths on Oct. 12, with a 7-day moving average of 1,252.

The moving average has been mostly reflected in the coronavirus positivity rate reported by the state. But on Thursday, COVID-19 positivity was up nearly three-quarters of a point, to 2.23 percent. Out of 40,775 tests taken, 908 cases were confirmed.

According to the latest weekly release of statewide data from DPH, 2,374,148 residents out of 3,105,947 eligible people have been fully vaccinated, yielding a 76 percent vaccination rate statewide. Connecticut continues to claim among the highest vaccination rates in the country.

As of Thursday, those residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 include more than 95 percent of those over the age of 65, 90 percent of those between 55-64, 82 percent of those between 45-54, 82 percent of those between 35-44, 75 percent of those between 25-34, 70 percent of those between 18-24, 79 percent of those between 16-17, and 69 percent of those between 12-15.

Predictably, residents in the eastern area of the state, with the highest coronavirus infection rates, are also least likely to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the data released by DPH. Of all Connecticut municipalities, only Canaan has a fully vaccinated population.

Out of the 1,770 cases of COVID-19 recorded by the state Department of Public Health in the past seven days, 483, or 27.3 percent, were among residents who had already been completely vaccinated.

The number of state residents hospitalized with the coronavirus dropped by one overnight, with 244 hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.

Most of them (70) can be found within hospitals in New Haven County.

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During the week of Oct. 7-13, 306 Connecticut schools reported coronavirus cases. State officials only classify that there were less than six cases reported at each school during the reporting period.