Covid Cases Tick Upward

In late July, New Haven learned of about one or two new Covid-19 cases per day. Now, eight to nine new cases are being discovered each day, as college campuses reported their first testing results.

Over the past 14 days, coronavirus tests have detected 66 positive cases in town — compared to approximately 36 cases three weeks ago.

City Health Director Maritza Bond said on Monday that the positive cases have been occurring throughout New Haven.

Of the 66 cases, at least 30 percent identify as Latinx or Hispanic and at least 27 percent identify as Black or African-American. Much information about the racial demographics of recent cases is unknown due to incomplete forms collected by providers, according to Bond.

Bond said that there are a number of factors that might be contributing to the rise in cases, including relaxed social distancing behavior, improper mask usage, and out-of-state visitors.

“I go out into the community often and see people congregating and not wearing masks,” she said. ​“I usually attend community events and I’m giving out masks and masks because people are not wearing them.”

She pointed out a common misconception that people don’t have to remain six feet apart from one another as long as they are wearing masks. From a virus prevention standpoint, a six-foot distance from others is necessary even when everyone has a mask on.

Anecdotally, Bond added, she’ll see people reusing worn-out disposable masks that were meant for a single use.

She has also noticed a lot of out-of-state license plates, particularly as students have begun moving into colleges for the semester.

Yale, Albertus, SCSU Cases Reported

Bond said that the city is closely monitoring cases at Albertus Magnus, Southern Connecticut State University, and Yale.

“We’re seeing that there’s an increase across the country in general,” Bond said. ​“We want to be vigilant that there could be a rise in cases [in New Haven].” Social distancing remains essential. ​“If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for others that are at a greater risk, for those that are over 65 or have preexisting conditions.”

Bond said that the city is stepping up initiatives such as the ​“Mask Up” campaign to educate the public about social distancing.

YNHH Reports Slight Rise in Hospitalizations

At a press briefing on Monday morning, Yale-New Haven Health officials stressed that Covid hospitalizations remain low across Connecticut.

New Haven currently has the highest number of hospitalizations for Covid-19 among YNHH facilities. Seventeen Covid-19 patients are hospitalized in New Haven — compared to four at Bridgeport, one at Greenwich, one at Lawrence + Memorial in New London, and one at Westerly.

YNHH has a total of 24 Covid cases in its hospital system. New Haven has two fewer hospitalized Covid cases than yesterday, after two patients were able to safely return home.

These numbers are slightly higher than what YNHH reported on Aug. 11. Two weeks ago, New Haven had seven Covid patients; Bridgeport had five; Greenwich had two; and Lawrence + Memorial had one, for a total of 15 statewide cases.

“The thing we have to put in perspective is that the numbers continue to be small,” said YNHH CEO Marna Borgstrom.

The numbers that YNHH reported include asymptomatic patients who arrived at the hospital for unrelated reasons and received a positive Covid test result.

Statewide, Connecticut continues to have among the lowest Covid cases per capita in the country.

Yet the state isn’t outbreak-free. The town of Danbury has seen at least 178 new cases since Aug. 2, prompting town officials to increase testing sites and urge residents to remain inside when possible.

“It’s a cautionary tale,” Chief Clinical Officer Tom Balcezak said of Danbury’s rise in cases. ​“The potential exists for spread anywhere. The opening of the schools, universities, and colleges just adds to the complexities in things.”

The hospitals haven’t yet seen a spike from college students returning to Connecticut for school. A majority of the current patients in Yale-New Haven Health’s hospitals are in their fifties or older, Borgstrom said.

“Whether or not we see a spike in cases is largely up to students themselves and how they behave and how they conduct themselves,” Balcezak said.

In general, Balcezak emphasized a need for continued mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as institutional flexibility, as the pandemic fluctuates.

“It’s important for us to continue to monitor and change course,” he said. ​“We tend to value as a society people who pick a path and stay on it, but when you’re dealing with a novel disease… you are going to have to change when the evidence changes.”