“The case numbers are picking up fast,” Newtown Health Director Donna Culbert told The Newtown Bee, as of the evening of November 11.

The state database report has Newtown up to 426 total since mid-March, said Culbert. A week ago, Newtown’s total stood at 376; the local number of virus-related deaths, however, has held steady at 45.

“We’ve had 43 new cases (positive tests) since November 1. The numbers are a little elusive,” she said, “as there is a multi-day time lag between when a test is taken, when it is analyzed and reported, and when I get it.” That can take from two to six days, the health director noted. “So when I tell you there have been 43 cases from November 1 to today, that can easily change due to that lag,” she added.

On Thursday morning, November 12, the health director said that the state updates its color coded map (https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-data-tracker) on Thursday afternoon. But she stated with confidence, “[Newtown] will become red.”

The red zone indicates a municipality has an average daily COVID-19 case rate over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population. The orange zone indicates those that have case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population. The yellow zone indicates municipalities that have case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population, and those indicated in gray have case rates lower than five per 100,000 population. Newtown has not been in the gray zone for weeks.

Culbert’s advice as numbers in the state and nation move rapidly upward remains much the same as it has throughout the epidemic:

“Wash your hands, wear your mask, watch your distance,” she urged. Connecticut guidelines currently state that “masks or cloth face coverings that cover a person’s nose and mouth are required to be worn when in public and a six-foot distance is unavoidable.” This applies whether a person is indoors or outdoors, though those with certain medical conditions are exempt.

As of November 6, private gatherings are restricted to an indoor or outdoor maximum of ten people, with face masks and social distancing required.

“Keep your circle small,” emphasized the local health director, a directive that may demand a stalwart constitution as the holidays draw near and families suffering from coronavirus fatigue are tempted to relax those protocols.

Culbert’s final advice: “Also, stay home when feeling unwell.”

Even as Governor Lamont honored veterans November 11, Veterans Day, including taking part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, he reported rising numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths in the state from the previous day; he has continuously urged citizens to adhere closely to the newest protocols. Along with limiting the numbers now considered safe for gatherings (see story on page A-11 of this issue for other phase 2.1 guidelines), he has issued further advisement on travel, particularly as the holidays loom.

The portal.ct.gov site noted November 11 that “Pursuant to Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 9I, anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state, other than New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, with a positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10 percent test positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average, or from a country for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice, are directed to self-quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or country.”

A civil penalty of $500 for each violation can be applied to anyone failing to self-quarantine or complete the travel health form after having visited any state, for a period of 24 hours or more, other than those above-mentioned. The form can be found at https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ct/dph/connecticut-travel-health-form. Other details can be found at the state website.

As of 3:30 pm on November 11, Lamont reported a total of 84,741 confirmed and probable COVID cases statewide, an increase of 1,754 since the previous day; 36 more hospitalizations since November 10 for a total of 584 in the state; and nine more COVID-associated deaths. Statewide, a total of 4,716 deaths associated with COVID have been reported.

The governor’s afternoon update showed a daily test positivity rate of 4.76 percent in Connecticut.

In Fairfield County, November 11 numbers saw 156 people hospitalized due to COVID-19. There were 26,552 confirmed cases of COVID, with another 2,179 probable cases. Confirmed COVID-related deaths in the county stood at 1,130, with another 321 probable deaths related to the novel coronavirus.

Day-to-day changes reflect newly reported cases, deaths, and tests that occurred over the last several days to weeks.

On November 10, Yale New Haven Hospital limited visitor access to patients at the hospital and its outpatient facilities, due to concerns regarding community spread of COVID-19. Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital have had limited visitation for inpatients, effective October 30, for the safety of patients and staff. Across the state, visitations in other hospitals have been restricted, so it is recommended calling any hospital before planning to visit a patient.

The focus of Lamont’s Monday, November 9 news briefing was on the “good news out there” of that day, the announcement by drug maker Pfizer and Mainz, Germany-based drug maker BioNTech’s announcement of a COVID-19 vaccine trial with strong, positive results. (See related story in this week’s issue.)

While concerned about the steady increase in numbers, the governor on Monday expressed confidence in the ability of hospitals to handle the influx of patients.

On Monday, the governor also noted with pride that Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate professor of medicine at Yale and who had served on the Reopen CT Advisory Group, was one of three doctors selected as part of the Biden-Harris Transition COVID-19 Taskforce. Nunez-Smith joins Dr David Kessler, former FDA commissioner and former Dean of the Yale School of Medicine, and Dr Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general and a graduate of Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Management.

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.