Coronavirus cases fell across the state for the second week in a row, and while the falloff wasn’t nearly as dramatic as last week’s 33% drop, it was still significant. Raw case numbers and case prevalence, or the number of new COVID-19 cases per 10,000 residents, are at levels not seen since late October 2020.
Cases in Connecticut as a whole dropped from 5,697 for the week ending April 21 to 4,966 for the week ending April 28, a decrease of 731. The drop was led by large decreases in several cities, including Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford. The change over two weeks was even more dramatic, falling 3,536 from 8,531 for the week ending April 14.
Case prevalence fell from 15.95 new cases per 10,000 residents for the week ending April 21 to 13.90, and test positivity decreased ever so slightly from 2.6% to 2.5%.
This decrease in cases, while welcome, was also uneven; about a third of Connecticut’s towns saw increases, including Enfield, Hamden, Hartford, Naugatuck, and New Haven. It’s not clear why these towns had an increase in cases while the rest of the state moved in the opposite direction.
Let’s take a look at the map.
Case Prevalence Per 10,000, By Town
For the week ending April 28, 2021
Most of the state’s 169 towns had case prevalences between 5 and 20 new cases per 10,000 residents. Only a few towns, mostly in the New Haven and Waterbury area, had prevalence numbers over 20. Hamden (30.19) and Eastford (33.52) were the only towns in the state with a case prevalence over 30. Thirteen towns, all of which were either in rural northwest or eastern Connecticut, reported no new cases this past week.
The virus is obviously still a stubborn enemy. As more and more of the state is vaccinated, numbers will continue to decrease. But if people aren’t careful, the damage the virus could cause on its way out could be significant. It’s hard, after a year, to tell people to hang on, wear masks, and practice social distancing for a little while longer. But if we want to have a better summer, that’s what needs to happen.
Here’s last week’s map for comparison:
Case Prevalence Per 10,000, By Town
For the week ending April 21, 2021
Susan Bigelow is an award-winning columnist and the founder of CTLocalPolitics. She lives in Enfield with her wife and their cats.
The views, opinions, positions, or strategies expressed by the author are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of CTNewsJunkie.com.
