Coronavirus Cases Rise Sharply In Redding

REDDING — There are 205 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in town as of Dec. 10, according to the state Department of Public Health. Nine residents have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic.

The town Department of Health has advised on its Facebook page that "contact tracing has revealed that human behavior is still the main driver in transmission. Any gathering for whatever reason has the potential to spread the virus."

What Health Department officials don't know yet is the full impact of Thanksgiving travel and gatherings will have on the spread of the virus locally "because the incubation period for COVID is 14 days and then there are lags in the reporting process," according to the social media post.

Statewide, around 99.7 percent of Connecticut’s population now live within a coronavirus red zone as of Friday, including Redding, which had a 5.6 percent positivity in the most recent data.

Another four towns were added to the red zone Thursday, bringing the total up to 163. That leaves just six small towns that aren’t on the warning list. Communities in the red zone are at the highest risk for coronavirus spread, according to state officials.

Connecticut reported nearly 3,800 new coronavirus cases Friday and a 6.97 percent positive test rate. For now the state has settled around a 7 percent positive test rate, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

"I don't think that necessarily means things are stabilizing, but at least they're not going up like a hockey stick like we feared a couple of weeks ago," he said.