COVID-19 CASES ON RISE IN DANBURY AREA
DANBURY — Yet another wave of COVID-19 is making its way through the Danbury area, driving up positive cases as local officials and residents enter a second winter battle against the virus.
Across the state, the test positivity rate has hit its highest point since January, at 6.52 percent.
Only seven municipalities across the state remain in the “gray” zone on the state’s colorcoded map showing severity of COVID-19 cases across municipalities. “Gray” shows the best and lowest case rate ranking, at fewer than five cases per 100,000 residents. Those towns include Roxbury and Washington, where fewer than five cases have been reported over the most recent two-week data collection period.
Four municipalities, including Danbury, are in the “yellow” zone, and 23 are in the “orange” zone. The rest of Connecticut’s cities and towns have now been given the worst and highest infection ranking on the map, landing in the “red” zone.
Recently, Danbury and neighboring towns seemed to be evading the worst of the state’s rising rates, with cases increasing at a slower pace. Yet, in interviews last week, Danbury officials said they expected to see cases continue to go up, which this week’s data confirmed.
Danbury continues to report a lower case rate than surrounding areas, at just 8.2 cases per 100,000 residents. Still, this number is up from last week, when the city reported a case rate of 7.5.
New Fairfield also increased from 5.7 to 7.2 cases per 100,000 residents this week while Ridgefield and Brookfield moved from the “orange” zone to the “red” zone.
Newtown, Bethel, Redding and Kent, were designated the “orange” zone with case rates between 10 to 14 per 100,000 residents.
New Milford now has a case rate of 27.7 per 100,000 residents, one of the highest in the area, beat only by Sherman’s 29.5 and Oxford’s 30.7 rates.
Sherman logged a case rate of 12 for the second week during the two-week reporting period, while Oxford reported 32 cases the first week and 25 the second.
Sherman First Selectman Don Lowe said this was the highest
single week case count his town has seen to date. At least 10 of the 12 cases were concentrated in younger kids, he said.
Lowe added that in the past week, the town’s cases have grown to about 16, which is not reflected in the state data.
In comparison, New Milford recently reported 48 cases during the first week starting Nov. 14, and 56 the second week.
“I wish I could say that the numbers were surprising, but I can’t,” wrote New Milford Health Director Lisa Morrissey in a text to the News-Times. “More than anything else, they speak to the fact that widespread community transmission is occurring across the area.”
The health director called news this week of a 41-case increase over four days “disheartening.” State data is published on a seven-day delay.
Morrissey noted that New Milford’s current case rate was in line with other Litchfield County towns.
“It’s not the news, obviously, we wanted to hear,” said New Milford Mayor Pete Bass.
Bass has been speaking with Morrissey to bring further vaccine clinics and testing to the town amid this newest wave.
Last month, a New Milford nursing home reported five COVID deaths following the first major viral outbreak at the facility. A total of 36 residents and eight staff tested positive.
“I strongly recommend people to get tested, get boosted, and to wear [a] mask when socializing,” Morrissey continued.