The Naugatuck Valley Health District reported 17 new COVID-19 cases in a report issued Friday, Oct. 23.
Seven new cases were reported in Ansonia.
Four new cases were reported in Shelton.
Three new cases were reported in Derby.
Three new cases were reported in Seymour.
Two new cases were reported in Naugatuck.
No new cases were reported in Beacon Falls.
There have been 2,062 COVID-19 cases within the NVHD’s jurisdiction since March. There have been 150 new cases reported since Oct. 9.
This week the health district attributed the uptick in cases to a combination of people getting tested; people returning to indoor activities, and; an increase in group activities.
The Naugatuck Valley Health District has not reported a COVID-19 related death within its jurisdiction since July 31.
On Friday evening the Town of Seymour sent an alert to residents noting the town’s two-week average daily positivity rate was 14.3 per 100,000 people. Had the rate been 15, the state would have issued a public health alert.
Halloween is Oct. 31. The CDC and the state health department have noted traditional Halloween activities such as going door-to-door to get candy are considered a high-risk activity in terms of virus transmission.
On Friday, the state released data showing Connecticut’s daily positivity rate was 2.9 percent. The rate had been just under 1 percent for much of the summer.
Along with positivity rate, hospitalizations and deaths are also on the rise. The state reported that an additional one person was hospitalized on Friday, for a total of 233 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19.
Again, the state hasn’t seen that many people hospitalized at a single time in four months. However, the state’s hospitals are not nearing capacity as they were in the spring, when there were nearly 2,000 people hospitalized at once.
