Area sees wave of new cases as holidays near
The latest wave of COVID-19 is striking the Danbury area just as the holiday season hits, data released by the state Thursday showed.
What has been suspected by local officials and doctors was confirmed with the data, showing an increase in COVID-19 cases in most municipalities in the Danbury region over the last week.
Here is a look at what readers should know heading into the Christmas weekend and leading up to the new year as
families and friends gather for celebration.
Latest data
Thursday’s data released by the state Department of Public Health shows the two-week period from Dec. 5 through Dec. 18. In that stretch, Danbury saw 180 new COVID-19 cases in the first week and 268 in the following week. The city’s two-week case rate per 100,000 people rose from 28.3 (during the Nov. 28 to Dec. 11 period) to 37.8.
Officials feared Thanksgiving gatherings could lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases, combined with the omicron variant that has been found to be highly transmissible. Some COVID-19 experts in the state expect omicron could be the dominant variant in the state by the end of next week.
There is some hope as schools break for a vacation that cases could ease a bit. New Milford was among the school districts to message parents Thursday they are planning to return to in-person learning Jan. 3 but that there were no guarantees. As a precaution, students were told to bring home their laptop computers “out of caution.” The town had 114 new cases last week and 84 the week prior.
Brookfield saw 86 new cases last week and 45 the week prior, while Newtown had 134 new confirmed cases and 85 the week prior. Ridgefield had 102 new cases last week and 69 the week prior, while Bethel had 78 new cases and 54 the week before. Southbury had 82 new cases last week and 63 the week before, New Fairfield had 62 new cases and 44 the week prior.
Meanwhile, Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation saw two additional residents die due to COVID-19 complications, according to a state report. The facility reported five COVIDrelated deaths between Nov. 10 and Nov. 23 and four deaths in the two weeks that followed. In the latest two-week stretch, the facility stated two residents died while also reporting one additional positive case among residents and one among staff members.
Mask mandates and local guidance
Leaders in the Danbury area have been hesitant to implement any COVID-19 related restrictions, including mandating masks indoors, since the recent wave of positive cases began. Only Redding implemented a mandate for all indoor locations, which began earlier this month.
The Redding mandate applies to municipal buildings, schools, school buses, child care facilities, restaurants, places of worship, work, health care, and congregate living settings. New Fairfield and Bethel have since implemented a requirement of masks strictly for municipal buildings, while others recommend their usage.
Danbury’s Mayor Joe Cavo has stayed away from a mask mandate, instead encouraging residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear masks.
Despite calls from some leaders including those in health care, Gov. Ned Lamont has not implemented any new COVID-19 mandates. Instead, he is encouraging local municipal leaders to make their own decisions.
Masks remain required in schools and on school buses.
Getting tested
As positive COVID-19 cases have gone up, it appears the chances of landing a COVID-19 test in a timely manner have gone down.
At-home testing kits have been challenging to find in stores and pharmacies over the last week leading into Christmas. Amazon, Walmart and other stores have even limited how many at-home kits can be purchased at any given time.
The federal government plans to provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, but it’s unlikely those will be seen by the public before next month.
That means the next best bet would be to search for drivethru and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites. Places like CVS and Walgreen’s offer these, but lately it has been a challenge to score a test within 24 hours. So if you plan to spend time around family for the holidays and want a test afterward, the best advice is to schedule a test sooner rather than later.
Danbury’s health department is working with the state to expand hours at its testing sites, according to city Health Director Kara Prunty. The city has also requested the state open another testing site in Danbury.
“Demand has been very high this week for testing, especially with the Christmas holidays coming up, which is very encouraging that people are doing the responsible thing before they have their family gathering and their traveling,” Prunty said this week.
Dr. John Murphy, who heads Danbury Hospital and Nuvance, said the demand comes at a challenging time because of the surge of omicron-related cases. He said testing priority should be given to those with symptoms.
In addition to local pharmacies, drive-thru COVID-19 testing is available at the Pat Waldron Building on Memorial Drive from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and the Police Activities League Building at Hayestown Road 3 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.
Brookfield saw 86 new cases last week and 45 the week prior, while Newtown had 134 new confirmed cases and 85 the week prior. Ridgefield had 102 new cases last week and 69 the week prior, while Bethel had 78 new cases and 54 the week before. Southbury had 82 new cases last week and 63 the week before, New Fairfield had 62 new cases and 44 the week prior.
Vaccine passport
The state unveiled this week its version of the digital COVID-19 passport, which allows residents to store their vaccine record on a smartphone. iPhone users with iOS15 software and up can head to CT WiZ, a state vaccination record database. There, they can enter their personal information and get a record of their vaccine sent to them.
From there, they can download the record and scan a QR code, allowing them to add the passport to their phone. This allows people to have a digital version of their vaccine card to show at locations that require vaccination proof.
Those with Androids or iPhones below the iOS 15 software can download an app: CommonPass for users with older iPhones or CommonHealth for Androids. From there, they can follow similar steps to get the passport.