Groton confirms third COVID-19 case.
Nineteen positive individual cases now in New London County
Groton — Groton Town Police said Ledge Light Health District has confirmed another positive case of COVID-19 in Groton.
The individual is a 57-yearold male. The town previously had announced two positive cases, the first a 52-year-old woman, and the second a 60-year-old woman.
“Positive cases of COVID-19 within our jurisdiction have been expected, as community transmission of the virus continues to occur in Connecticut,” the department said in the Facebook post Friday. “LLHD staff will assure that all appropriate Department of Public Health protocols regarding positive cases and potential contacts are followed.”
Statewide totals released Saturday evening by the governor’s office showed 19 confirmed COVID-19 cases in New London County, including two in Groton. The other confirmed cases are: Colchester, 2; East Lyme, 2; Franklin, 1; Lebanon, 2; Ledyard, 1; Lisbon, 2; Lyme, 1; Montville, 1; New London, 1; Norwich, 2; Stonington, 1, and Voluntown, 1.
Earlier this week, The Day asked Stephen Mansfield, Ledge Light Health District’s director of health, about why some Groton cases haven’t been showing up in the statewide totals, even though town police confirmed them.
He explained that initially there was one state laboratory in Rocky Hill that was authorized to do the COVID-19 testing. Since that time, additional entities, such as some acute care hospitals and private companies, including Quest Diagnostics, have been authorized to do the testing, but the formal reporting mechanism is different. In the first Groton case, local officials got verbal confirmation of the case before the state system was updated.
Mansfield also stressed that while there is a focus on cases in individual towns, everyone should be operating under the assumption that it is in their community. “Social distancing should always be employed, not just because you’ve heard about a case in your town,” he said.
In a video message at youtu.be/wkLFT87uDd8, police Chief L.J. Fusaro provided an update and shared best practices, including the importance of social distancing, which means keeping physical space between yourself and others to cut down the risk of possible transmission. For COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, health organizations recommend keeping a distance of at least 6 feet from others.