ANSONIA — The City of Ansonia and the Town of Beacon Falls were two of 39 communities in the state designated as COVID-19 ‘red zones,’ according to information released Thursday from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.
Ansonia has a two-week per capita rate of 16.5. The per capita rate in Beacon Falls is 18.4
Anything above 15 is considered ‘red,’ the highest level of the state’s COVID-19 alert status.
However, while the cases are increasing, the per capita rates in Ansonia and Beacon Falls are much lower than in April.
At that time, per capita rates in Ansonia were in the high 40s and low 50s, and Mayor David Cassetti’s administration organized a door-to-door campaign to sign people up for vaccination appointments.
COVID-19 vaccinations are still readily available in the lower Naugatuck Valley.
There were 43 positive COVID-19 tests in Ansonia between July 25 and Aug. 7.
Here is how the per capita rate is calculated:
Take the 43 cases reported in the period and divide by 14 days.
That gives you roughly 3 cases a day.
Divide 3 by Ansonia’s population, then multiply by 100,000.
Scientists use per capita rates for apples-to-apples comparisons. A city such as Shelton is always going to have more raw cases than a city such as Ansonia because many more people live in Shelton than Ansonia.
The increase locally is due to the Delta COVID-19 variant, which is spread more easily than the virus that first made its way into Connecticut in March 2020.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that masks, along with vaccines, are efficient ways to protect yourself from COVID-19.
The vast majority of people getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19 are people who are not vaccinated.
As cases rise, Gov. Lamont has tweaked mask rules.
Here are the latest mask rules from the state:
Outdoors
Masks not required
Indoors
Vaccinated not required to wear masks
Unvaccinated must wear masks
Masks are required to be worn by everyone in certain settings such as healthcare facilities, facilities housing vulnerable populations, public and private transit, correctional facilities, schools, and childcare
Businesses and state and local government offices have the option to require masks to be worn by everyone in their establishments
Last week Lamont gave local town leaders the option to require masks indoors at private establishments such as restaurants and bars and other private places where the public gathers in close quarters.
In Ansonia, just prior to Lamont’s announcement, Mayor Cassetti’s administration announced that masks must be worn in city-owned buildings.
In Seymour, First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis announced that masks must be worn in public buildings as of Aug. 12.
John Marini, Ansonia’s corporation counsel, told The Valley Indy that the Cassetti administration is keeping an eye on the COVID-19 stats. As of Thursday, there were no plans to require masks at private establishments in the city. It’s still up to the owners. More talks will happen next week.
“The Mayor would like to stress the importance of wearing masks when indoors, and to stress the importance of getting vaccinated at one of our many clinics,” Marini said. “We will be meeting with our emergency management teams next week to discuss whether the mask requirement will be extended to private properties.”
In Seymour, where one person on social media compared the mask requirement inside public buildings to a dictatorship, First Selectwoman Drugonis said her administration’s goal is safety.
“We are requiring all employees and guests that visit any town buildings to wear their masks,” Drugonis said. “We are keeping our eyes on the numbers. Our first priority is the safety of our residents and staff. We still have unvaccinated children and immunocompromised residents that visit town hall and we are trying to be mindful of those groups. Hopefully this is short lived and we can move on, but safety is always our first concern.”
State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D‑Ansonia, urged people to talk to their doctors or medical staff for accurate info on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations.
“The virus is looking for people to infect and ways to spread. The best thing we can do to prevent serious illness is to get vaccinated, and wear our masks until conditions improve. If you are hesitant about the vaccine, please speak with your doctor, a healthcare professional, or a public health official,” Rochelle said.
“The numbers show that nearly all who are being hospitalized with Covid are unvaccinated, and the proportion who are young has risen markedly. Ansonia is behind the rest of the state in vaccination rates and it is my greatest hope that folks step up, roll up their sleeves for the shot, and help to take Covid down. This is the Valley versus the virus, and I am confident if we work together we can protect ourselves, our children and seniors, and our neighbors.”
Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Here’s the latest per capita stats from the state. The period covered is from July 25 until Aug. 7
Ansonia
Week 1 cases: 22
Week 2 cases: 21
Rate per 100,000: 16.5
Beacon Falls
Week 1 cases: 4
Week 2 cases: 12
Rate per 100,000: 18.4
Derby
Week 1 cases: 12
Week 2 cases: 10
Rate per 100,000: 12.7
Naugatuck
Week 1 cases: 25
Week 2 cases: 30
Rate per 100,000: 12.6
Oxford
Week 1 cases: 9
Week 2 cases: 11
Rate per 100,000: 10.8
Seymour
Week 1 cases: 13
Week 2 cases: 17
Rate per 100,000: 13
Shelton
Week 1 cases: 23
Week 2 cases: 45
Rate per 100,000: 11.8
Vaccination Rates
Percent of Total Population With At Least One Dose
Ansonia
54.9 percent
Beacon Falls
62.1
Derby
71.9
Naugatuck
59.1
Oxford
65
Seymour
62.8
Shelton
66.7
