NEW LONDON, CT — The Ledge Light Health District has activated a “COVID Alert” in New London and developed a community plan to intervene and reduce the number of infections. The district’s contact tracing efforts have shown that the majority of new cases involve community-based transmission, rather than institutional based transmission, as was the case at the beginning of the pandemic.
Cases in New London County have surged recently. The county has witnessed a 267 percent increase in positive tests in recent weeks, with 154 cases being reported across the county as of Tuesday.
The news comes as hospitalizations have increased in the state. New London County saw an increase of one patient up to a net of 28 after several recent sharp rises.
See related: CT Coronavirus Hospitalizations On Rise Again
Immediate actions by the health district include increasing access to free COVID-19 testing for people in New London. The district encourages everyone who is interested in getting tested to do so.
“It is now clear that people may have COVID-19 and be infectious without experiencing any symptoms,” Director of Health Stephen Mansfield said in a statement. “By increasing testing, we can help people know when they should stay home and isolate in order to protect their family, friends, co-workers and neighbors.”
You can access a current list of testing locations at the district’s website.
The health district asked the public in a statement to remember that simple prevention measures can make a big difference in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
“Now more than ever we need everyone to make sure they are wearing a mask over their mouth and nose when they have to be around others, to try to maintain at least 6 feet between themselves and others, and to limit gatherings with people they don’t live with,” Mansfield said.