Red Zone Spike: 92 CT Towns Now At COVID-19 Highest Alert Level

CONNECTICUT — The number of Connecticut towns in the COVID-19 red zone has jumped from last week's 73 to 92 this week in the most recent data released from the state Department of Public Health.

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

Those communities in the orange zone, which have 10-14 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week average, are Ashford, Avon, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethany, Branford, Brooklyn, Coventry, Danbury, Darien, East Haddam, East Lyme, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Goshen, Granby, Guilford, Hamden, Harwinton, Killingly, Litchfield, New Canaan, New Hartford, New Milford, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Portland, Putnam, Redding, Ridgefield, Simsbury, Stamford, Stonington, Suffield, Thompson, Tolland, Torrington, Vernon, Washington, Westbrook, Westport and Windham.

One zone down in the yellow zone are Bethel, Canterbury, Clinton, Columbia, Deep River, Haddam, Old Saybrook, Pomfret, Salem, Thomaston, Wilton and Winchester. These municipalities have reported five to nine cases per 100,000 people over a two-week average.

In the gray zone with fewer than five cases per 100,000 people over two weeks are Andover, Barkhamsted, Bolton, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Hartland, Kent, Lyme, Mansfield, Morris, Norfolk, Roxbury, Scotland, Sterling, Union and Warren.

All other towns and cities are in the state's red zone.

As of Thursday, Connecticut residents who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 by age group includes 97 percent of those over the age of 65, 88 percent of those 55-64, 79 percent of those 45-54, 77 percent of those 35-44, 68 percent of those 25-34, 65 percent of those 18-24, 74 percent of those 16-17 and 62 percent of those 12-15.

Vaccinations of the youngest, and now most crucial, eligible age tier, residents 12-15, are up 2 percentage points from last week, as last week's numbers were 2 points higher from the week before. Vaccinations for the next youngest, and school age tier, 16-24, also jumped 2 points. Other age tiers continue to show minimal movement.

Litchfield County has been placed in the "high-transmission" category of COVID-19 according to the health department. It joined New Haven, Hartford, New London and Middlesex counties in the CDC's most severe infection category. Middlesex was downgraded last week, but returned to the list on Wednesday.

New Haven, Hartford, New London and Middlesex counties also are listed as "high transmission." Windham and Tolland are still classified by the CDC as being in the "substantial transmission" category.

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