Naugatuck Valley COVID-19 Case Summary

October 8, 2020 7:00PM

www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

NVHD COVID-19 Testing Data

**Please remember, data is preliminary and subject to change**

Test results may be reported several days after the result.
Patient information may be updated after results have already been reported. Changes will be reflected in the new daily totals.
Data does not include “probable” or “suspect” cases.

Table 1. NVHD COVID-19 Laboratory-Confirmed Cases

Cases Reported/Adjusted
Town/City Laboratory-Confirmed Cases
Since Last Report
Ansonia 303 -
Beacon Falls 60 -
Derby 192 -
Naugatuck 469 +9
Seymour 238 +4
Shelton 633 +1
Total 1,895 +14

Valley Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

by Age Group and Gender
400

350

300
Confirmed Cases

250
182 237
200
148 130 123
135 Female
150
92 Male Female
100

113 119 123 127

50 19 93 104
14 83
41
0 12
0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 and
older
Age Group

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

Contact Tracing

ContaCT is Connecticut’s statewide voluntary and confidential software system for monitoring the health and
wellbeing of people affected by COVID-19. ContaCT will aid Connecticut’s efforts to rapidly scale up our
contact tracing efforts and infrastructure to help combat COVID-19 and enable the safe re-opening of the
state. The information collected through ContaCT will be used to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in your
community.

ContaCT automates some steps in the contact tracing process, while maintaining safe handling of your
information. For those who choose to participate, surveys will be sent by email or text message daily to those
who have tested positive for COVID-19 (also known as cases) and persons identified who were exposed and
who may be at risk of developing COVID-19 (also known as contacts).

Survey messages from ContaCT will be sent from SVC-Covid19@ct.gov; text messages will be sent from
855-670-0299. We share this information with you to provide some reassurance these messages are
legitimate. If you decide not to participate, you should expect a daily phone call to achieve similar monitoring
to what the ContaCT system can provide.

The survey collects basic information on symptoms, the ability to self-isolate, and assesses unmet needs
(such as access to food, housing, healthcare, etc.), to connect people who are being asked to isolate with the
resources needed to be successful. All information collected will remain confidential, and contacts who are
identified will not be given information on cases (such as the person who may have exposed them).

If you test positive for COVID-19 and are contacted by our public health professionals by email, phone or text
asking you to fill out a questionnaire, please do so. This is our best chance to help protect our families,
friends, co-workers, and broader communities. Please stay home for at least 10 days after your symptoms
begin; you should be fever-free for 3 days and start to feel better before leaving your home. If you do not
have any symptoms, you should stay home for 10 days after you were tested for COVID-19.

If you are contacted by our public health professionals by email, phone or text asking you to fill out a
questionnaire as a contact of someone who has tested positive, please do so. Please also take the advice
seriously and stay at home for 14 days after the date you were exposed. It is one way you can continue to do
your part and help us fight COVID-19.

https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/ContaCT

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Statewide and National COVID-19 Data

State Department of Education School Learning Model Indicators, including primary and secondary metrics, are
updated weekly on Thursday’s and can be accessed at https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/CT-School-Reopening/ddy2-ijgu/.

Key leading indicators to support decision-making on the level of in-person education is:
1. Number of new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 per day (7-day average).

Secondary indicators include:

1. Percent test positivity (# of positive tests/# of total tests, 7-day average),
2. Number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 population (7-day average),
3. COVID-like and Influenza-like Illness (CLI and ILI) Syndromic Surveillance.

Additional statewide COVD-19 data is available at https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus and is also linked on the NVHD
website www.nvhd.org/covid19-data.

As a reminder, all data reported is preliminary and

subject to change. Test results may be reported
several days after the result. Patient information may
be updated after results have already been reported.
Changes will be reflected in the new daily totals.

NVHD receives data and confirmation reports from the

following sources: CT Department of Public Health,
Hospitals, Healthcare Providers, Laboratories, and the
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Sometimes, the
local health department receives reports before the
State DPH and therefore the numbers reported by
NVHD may differ from the daily report on the State of
CT website.

For national COVID-19 data, visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-

in-us.html and the John’s Hopkins Dashboard: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map.

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

Facility Related Data

Point Prevalence Surveys (PPS)

Local health departments and districts were made aware of the State of Connecticut’s goal to test all Connecticut
nursing home residents through a process called point prevalence survey testing (PPS). A PPS involves testing
broadly to determine the COVID-19 status of all residents in a facility on the same day. The following information
from the CT Department of Public Health (DPH) Interim PPS Guidance dated May 11, 2020 will explain the purpose
of conducting a PPS.

Cohorting physically separates residents potentially capable of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 from those potentially
naïve to it. Knowing the COVID-19 status (positive or negative) of all residents within a facility at a given point in
time can help inform a cohorting strategy. CDC recommends testing in facilities when results will lead to specific
infection control interventions such as cohorting.

DPH recommends cohorting residents into 3 separate areas.

1. "Positive": residents confirmed to have COVID-19 due to a positive PCR test

2. "Negative": asymptomatic residents with no known exposures who test negative for COVID-19
3. "Exposed": roommates of COVID-positive residents undergoing a 14-day quarantine or symptomatic
residents with high clinical suspicion of COVID-19 awaiting test results

DPH’s Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI-AR) staff are prioritizing working with
the nursing home facilities to assess readiness to conduct the PPS, eventually the goal is to conduct PPS at assisted
living facilities too. Once readiness is established, the Connecticut National Guard will schedule a time to drop off
kits at the facility. Facilities are expected to complete the PPS within 72 hours after receipt of the kits. The testing
is done by commercial laboratories and results are typically available within 24 hours after the specimen is
collected. As soon as the PPS test results are received, cohorting of the facility residents must be done. DPH is
following up with each facility as results are received.

Cases that are identified in a PPS will be included in the total number of cases per jurisdiction and testing results
will be available in the CT electronic disease surveillance system, CTEDSS. This means that the number of cases
and number of tests in each jurisdiction could increase dramatically when a PPS is completed. Testing during a
PPS is different than the symptom-based testing that has been occurring to date. An increase in cases
associated with a PPS does not indicate a sudden increase in transmission.

Please be advised that facilities are also required to report cases daily into an online portal. This portal is the source
of the data used in the weekly nursing home and assisted living facility report that is put out by the State of CT.
NVHD does not receive or use data directly from this portal. NVHD obtains the data once it is migrated into CTEDSS.
Therefore, there may be times when the nursing home report distributed by the state may have significant
discrepancies from the local NVHD facility report. When NVHD gains access to the data after it is entered into
CTEDSS by our colleagues at DPH, NVHD will reflect the update in that day’s report.

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

485 (~26%) of the 1,889 confirmed cases among Valley residents, are individuals who resided in a nursing home,
assisted living facility, group home, or other similar setting at the time of testing.

186 (~38%) of the 483 individuals have died due to COVID-19 complications. Please see pages 7-9 for
additional information and data related to COVID-19 associated deaths.

**Please remember, data is preliminary and subject to change**

Test results may be reported several days after the result.
Patient information may be updated after results have already been reported. Changes will be reflected in the new daily totals.
Data sources include: The Dr. Katherine A. Kelley State Public Health Laboratory, Hospitals, and Commercial Laboratories.

Laboratory-Confirmed Cases
Valley Residents Tested in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, etc.

Ansonia 3

Beacon Falls

Derby

Naugatuck 151

Seymour 80

Shelton 251

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

The above graph includes both living and deceased. The graph includes facility residents who may currently be
inpatient at area hospital(s).

Please be advised that some towns have multiple facilities reporting COVID-19 cases. Cases are reported by the
individuals permanent address, not the town of the facility in which they may be receiving treatment or
recovering. This data is subject to change since some individuals may end up leaving a facility to recover at their
homes or may become permanent residents of a facility.

When an individual or worker tests positive for COVID-19 within an assisted living facility and/or nursing home,
the investigation is led by the State Department of Public Health (DPH) and the State Facility Licensing and
Investigation Section (FLIS). The NVHD remains in communication with the facilities as well as our state agency
partners during the investigation.

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

NVHD COVID-19 Associated Deaths

Today, NVHD has no new deaths to report.

For public health surveillance, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 associated deaths are defined as patients who
tested positive for COVID-19 around the time of death; this is not a determination of the cause of death. The
health district does not have further details including whether there may have been underlying health issues
or other contributing factors.

On April 10, 2020, the State Department of Public Health started to include COVID-19 deaths that are not
laboratory-confirmed in daily reporting. NVHD now reports on COVID-19 associated deaths including both a)
persons who tested positive for COVID-19 around the time of death (laboratory-confirmed) and b) persons who
were not tested for COVID-19 whose death certificate lists COVID-19 disease as a cause of death or as a
significant condition contributing to deaths (probable) in Table 2.

NVHD has linked free mental health and wellness resources for individuals, families, and first responders who
may be experiencing heightened anxiety, stress, and other emotions during this pandemic on the webpage
www.nvhd.org/coping.

**Please remember, data is preliminary and subject to change**

Death notices may be reported several days after the individual died.
Patient information may be updated after results have already been reported. Changes will be reflected in the new daily totals.
Data sources include: CT Department of Public Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Hospitals, Long-Term Care & Assisted Living Facilities

Table 2. NVHD COVID-19 Associated Deaths

Laboratory-Confirmed
Probable COVID-19
Town/City COVID-19 Associated Deaths
Associated Deaths
(*included in the Table 1)
Ansonia 7 2
Beacon Falls
Derby 5
Naugatuck 37 4
Seymour 47 6
Shelton 113 24
Total 209* 35
Combined Total: 244

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 Naugatuck Valley COVID-19 Case Summary
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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

**Please remember, data is preliminary and subject to change**

Test results may be reported several days after the result.
Patient information may be updated after results have already been reported. Changes will be reflected in the new daily totals.
Data sources include: CT Department of Public Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Hospitals, Long-Term Care & Assisted Living Facilities.

Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Associated Deaths

Among Valley Residents by Age and Gender
160

140

120

100
86
80

60

40 16
52
20 7
29
4 4
11
0
0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 and older
Male Female

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 Naugatuck Valley COVID-19 Case Summary
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**Please remember, data is preliminary and subject to change**

Test results may be reported several days after the result.
Patient information may be updated after results have already been reported. Changes will be reflected in the new daily totals.
Data sources include: CT Department of Public Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Hospitals, Long-Term Care & Assisted Living Facilities.

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 Naugatuck Valley COVID-19 Case Summary
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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

Travel Information
CT Travel Advisory Updates and Frequently Asked Questions: ct.gov/coronavirus/travel
Pursuant to Executive Order 9C (9/16/20): Anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state with a positive case rate higher
than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a 7-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.

Anyone entering from one of the identified states must fill out a travel health form upon arrival. Travelers can fill out
the form online at ct.gov/travelform.

Updated 10/6/20
1. Alabama 20. Nevada
2. Alaska 21. New Mexico
3. Arkansas 22. North Carolina
4. Colorado 23. North Dakota
5. Delaware 24. Oklahoma
6. Florida 25. Rhode Island
7. Georgia 26. South Carolina
8. Idaho 27. South Dakota
9. Illinois 28. Tennessee
10. Indiana 29. Texas
11. Iowa 30. Utah
12. Kansas 31. West Virginia
13. Kentucky 32. Wisconsin
14. Louisiana 33. Wyoming
15. Minnesota
16. Mississippi 34. Guam
17. Missouri 35. Puerto Rico
18. Montana
19. Nebraska

The list of countries for which the CDC has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice is fluid and travelers should
check such list on their date of travel. CDC Travel Updates: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/travelers/index.html

CDC Considerations for Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

Reopen Information & Sector Rules

Sector Rules are in addition to relevant public health code requirements.
All businesses subject to these guidelines are required to self-certify with the State of Connecticut prior to reopening.
If you already self-certified your business during Phase 1 or 2, your business will NOT need to certify again during Phase 3.
https://business.ct.gov/recovery.
Reopen CT Phase 3 (10/8):

Please visit the DECD Sector Rules webpage for new capacity limits.

See list below for updated/current Sector Rules.

Reopen CT Phase 2:
• Senior Centers (takes effect September 1)
• Restaurants (updated 10/8)
o Restaurant capacity limit – 75% capacity indoors with 6 foot spacing and/or non-porous barriers
• Personal services (e.g., nail salons, tattoo parlors, etc.) (updated 10/8)
• Sports and fitness facilities (e.g., gyms, fitness centers, pools, etc.) (updated 10/8)
• Libraries (updated 10/8)
o Library capacity limits – 75% indoors
• Indoor recreation (updated 8/14)
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums (updated 8/14)
• Hotels/Lodging (updated 8/14)
• Amusement Parks (updated 8/14)
• Outdoor events (updated 9/24)
• Indoor Events & Performing Arts Venues (updated 10/8)
o 50% capacity with 6 foot spacing between parties
• Film, Television, and Digital Media Production

Social Clubs to follow all rules applicable to their operation (e.g. Restaurant, Pool).
Short-term housing rentals are recommended to follow hotels/lodging rules above.

Reopen CT Phase 1:
All businesses are required to self-certify with the State of Connecticut prior to reopening. This process is done online
at https://business.ct.gov/recovery.
• Hair Salons and Barbershops - (updated 10/8)
• Offices - (updated 8/14)
• Retail & Malls - (updated 9/17)
• General Business Rules - (updated 8/14)

If business owners have additional questions after reviewing the DECD guidelines, please contact NVHD during business
hours, Monday – Friday 8:30AM-4:00PM, by calling 203-881-3255. If you have witnessed a business violating the
Sector Rules that is not a public health facility, please fill out the complaint form on the State of CT website
https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ct/COVID-19/Reopen-CT-Business-Complaint-Form

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

Face Coverings
NVHD continues to urge residents to please stay home as much as possible and please continue to practice physical,
social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet between you and others if you must go out for essential errands. To
minimize the amount of people who can potentially be exposed, designate one person per household as the person
who will do the grocery shopping or other essential errands. If you must go out in public, please wear a cloth face
covering.

Please review Acting Governor Bysiewicz’s Executive Order No. 7NNN for updates related to masks and face coverings.

Per Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7BB, “effective at 8:00PM on Monday, April 20, 2020, any person in a
public place in Connecticut who is unable to or does not maintain a safe social distance of approximately six feet from
every other person shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face-covering.

In addition, individuals shall use a mask or cloth face covering when using the services of any taxi, car, livery, ride-sharing
or similar service or means of mass public transit, or while within any semi-enclosed transit stop or waiting area.
The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall issue updated versions to the Safe Workplace rules
issued pursuant to Executive Order No. 7V, Section 1 and the Safe Stores rules issued pursuant to Executive Order No.
7S, Section 1, which updated versions shall set forth additional requirements for face coverings within those settings.
Nothing in this order shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be
contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition, a child in a child care setting, anyone under the
age of 2 years, or an older child if the parent, guardian or person responsible for the child is unable to place the mask
safely on the child’s face. If a person declines to wear a mask or face covering because of a medical condition as
described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.
This order shall supersede and preempt any current or future municipal order.”

Per Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 9B, “any person, while in a public place or in any location where and for
whom wearing a mask or face covering is required by Executive Order 7NNN or any DECD Sector Rules…who fails to
wear a mask or cloth-face covering shall be guilty of a violation and fined one hundred dollars.” Please see the
executive order for fines for large gatherings violating the size restrictions and persons who attend those gatherings.

To view all of the Emergency Executive Orders signed by the Governor, please visit https://bit.ly/2XK7E7e or
http://www.nvhd.org/coronaviruses/covid-19/.

For more information about making or using cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19, please visit
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.

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www.nvhd.org/coronarviruses/COVID-19

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

The Medical Reserve Corps needs your help to support missions in the Valley and across CT Region 5 in
response to COVID-19.

The MRC is a national network of local volunteers who have both medical and non-medical backgrounds.
Volunteers in the State of Connecticut must be 18 years or older. Just-in-time training and personal
protective equipment are supplied to volunteers free of cost. The specific role that you will play and the
activities in which you will participate will depend upon your background, interests, and skills, as well as the
needs of the NVMRC unit and the Region 5 communities.

Naugatuck Valley Health District’s Director of Health, Jessica Stelmaszek, serves in the capacity as the CT
Region 5 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Coordinator and Director of the Naugatuck Valley’s local MRC Unit.
“I have been involved with the MRC since 2012, first as a volunteer and then in leadership capacities. Our
state is lucky to have such a great network of volunteers with a wide variety of backgrounds to help us
prepare for and respond to missions related to natural and man-made disasters, community events, and
infectious disease response like seasonal influenza vaccination clinics and now the COVID-19 pandemic” said
Director Stelmaszek.

All MRC volunteers are sworn in during an Oath Ceremony conducted by an Emergency Management
Director. By taking this bi-annual oath, volunteers are provided liability protection under Title 28 of the CT
General Statutes while training or activated with the MRC. Oath ceremonies are currently hosted by
Naugatuck Valley virtually through videoconferencing. You will be invited via email once you are registered
with the NVMRC or regional strike team.

If you are interested in joining the Naugatuck Valley Medical Reserve Corps or
the Region 5 MRC COVID-19 Strike Team, please register online at
https://ctresponds.ct.gov/

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!

View President Trump’s declaration of National Volunteer Week (April 19 – April 25, 2020) here:
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-national-volunteer-week-2020/.

For more information, please contact Jessica Stelmaszek at jstelmaszek@nvhd.org Pictured: Region 5 MRC COVID-19 Strike
Team Volunteer, Sean F. at the Danbury
Emergency Isolation Shelter for Homeless

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