What does the ‘red alert’ mean for CT residents?
A recent uptick in coronavirus cases across Connecticut has prompted state officials to turn to a color-coded alert system that will be used to help local leaders make decisions about schools, businesses and social gatherings.
The state is moving toward allowing municipalities to make independent decisions on capacity and other rules that were previously a one-size-fitsall approach for Connecticut. The change comes as there is an uptick in coronavirus cases, specifically in southeastern Connecticut.
The system, which includes red, orange and yellow, caught the interest of people across Connecticut this week after 11 towns were labeled red, which could prompt some changes related to whether schools are open, restaurants can follow Phase 3 reopening guidelines and whether social gatherings can increase in size.
Here are some questions and things to know to help understand the new system:
Which towns are considered ‘red alert’?
As of Friday, Oct. 16, Danbury, Canterbury, East Lyme, Griswold, Hartford, Montville, Norwich, New London, Preston, Sprague and Windham were all considered in the “red.” This is not a permanent designation and can change weekly, or even daily.
What makes a town in the red category?
Municipalities fall into the red category if they have 15 confirmed positive cases of coronavirus per 100,000 residents. There is also an orange (10-14 cases per 100,000 residents per day) and yellow (5-9 cases per 100,000 residents per day).
What does it mean if my town is considered in the red category?
The Department of Public Health recommends high-risk people stay home, a public health alert should be sent out and residents should limit trips outside their homes while avoiding gatherings with
non-family members.
In addition, towns are encouraged to cancel public events, organized groups should postpone indoor activities and outdoor events where social distancing can’t be followed and masks cannot be worn.
Those towns are also given the option to revert to Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.
What changed between Phase 2 and Phase 3?
Indoor restaurants, salons and barber shops were allowed to increase from 50 percent indoor capacity to 75 percent. Indoor wedding venues
were also allowed to increase occupancy to up to 100 people or up to 50 percent of maximum capacity. Outdoor private events moved from 100 to 150 people.
What are Danbury’s plans?
Mayor Mark Boughton said there are no plans to revert to Phase 2 at this time, as Danbury “barely” qualifies. Danbury has 15.2 cases per 100,000, which is the lowest of the red towns.
“We will continue to monitor infections over the weekend and into early next week,” he wrote Friday on Facebook, encouraging people to continue wearing masks. “Should we move further into the ‘Red Zone’ category, we will begin the process of rolling back our openings.”
Are schools affected by this?
They could be. The local school district is recommended to work with the local health department in determining whether schools should consider distance learning, at least on a temporary basis.
Danbury, which has not yet done in-person learning this school year, plans to re-open schools on a hybrid model Oct. 26.
Why is Danbury the only ‘red’ town in the Western part of the state?
Danbury is still seeing a regular stream of positive coronavirus cases, following a surge in August. It has since seen a decrease in total cases and hit a plateau. Still, Lamont said he would prefer to see a further drop.
“I don’t like that Danbury is still on [this map] as a red alert,” he said at a press conference, Thursday. “We’ve been bringing the cavalry there now for three or four weeks. That said, we have brought down the infection level from 7 to 4 percent, but it’s worth remembering that when COVID hits, the infection rate, it goes up like a hockey stick and it goes down a lot more gradually.”
There are a handful of towns in the Western part of the state considered “orange,” including Waterbury, Prospect, Bethany and Fairfield.
Department of Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford said many of the red towns, located in southeastern Connecticut, are seeing transmission among friends, family and coworkers in casual settings.
Should I be concerned if my town is ‘orange’?
Lamont said, “be careful because orange can lead to red, as you’ve seen over the last couple of weeks.” The state jumped from four red towns to 11 in the span of a week. Others in the orange include East Hartford, New Britain and Bloomfield, in addition to several other communities in southeastern Connecticut.