Summary for most recent day of reporting in Connecticut
Day-to-day changes reflect newly reported cases, deaths, and tests that occurred over the last several days to week. All data in this report are preliminary; data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected. Hospitalization data were collected by the Connecticut Hospital Association. Deaths* reported to either the OCME or DPH are included in the daily COVID-19 update.
*For public health surveillance, COVID-19-associated deaths include persons who tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 disease around the time of death (confirmed) and persons whose death certificate lists COVID-19 disease as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death (probable).
| Category Text | Total | Change Direction | Change |
| Laboratory Confirmed COVID-19 Cases | 47,209 | + | 101 |
| COVID-19 Associated Deaths | 4,348 | + | 5 |
| Patients Currently Hospitalized with COVID-19 | 90 | + | 2 |
| Patients Tested for COVID-19 | 543,636 | + | 8,171 |
Charts represent the date the data were reported to the CT DPH. Cases and deaths are cumulative over time. Hospitalization data are collected by CT Hospital Association
Source: Department of Public Health
Total Reported
To Date Change from Probable
Yesterday Cases
Local Results
Westport Residents COVID-19 Positive Reported to the State 300 +2 15
Weston Residents COVID-19 Positive Reported to the State 62 +0 3
A complete listing by town and county of all COVID-19 cases being reported by the Connecticut State Department of Health, and various analyses of those cases, can be found by following this link: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Coronavirus/CTDPHCOVID19summary7092020.pdf?la=en
Contact Tracing in Westport/Weston
In response to a recent report of a positive COVID-19 case in the community, the WWHD has received a number of questions from concerned members of the public. They are interested in how contact tracing is being carried out locally. Louis D’Onofrio, Director of Clinical Care, explains the process.
Westport Weston Health District has been performing contact tracing communicable diseases since it was established in the 1960’s. Contact tracing is a fundamental public health activity that enables public health officials to slow the spread of infectious diseases. The WWHD began performing contact tracing for COVID-19 in early March of this year when staff began testing for COVID-19 in the community. WWHD’s clinical team, along with trained volunteers, is responsible for and has been managing contact tracing activities for every reported positive case in residents of Westport and Weston.
Towns or municipalities that are unable to perform contact tracing (because of high volume or staff shortages) can request that the State of Connecticut’s Department of Public Health help and/or take over the duty. The Westport Weston Health District has been able to perform contact tracing for Westport and Weston since the pandemic began without help from the State of Connecticut, other than being notified of positive cases.
How COVID-19 contact tracing works currently at WWHD:
The Westport Weston Health District works with Connecticut’s statewide confidential software system for monitoring the health and wellbeing of people affected by COVID-19. The information collected in contact tracing is used to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
All WWHD staff and volunteers have completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention training prior to performing COVID-19 contact tracing. The majority of volunteers are a medical professional of some kind (Nurse Practitioner, Medical Doctor, Registered Nurse, or Medical Assistant) and/or is a member of our Medical Reserve Corp.
Each public health jurisdiction in Connecticut is informed by the State Department of Public Health of a suspected or active COVID-19 case in their jurisdiction. The WWHD is a Health District which serves both Westport and Weston, thus it is our responsibility to contact residents in both.
WWHD staff then contacts that person and asks multiple survey questions using the State provided assessment outline. 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 a positive COVID-19 person informs the interviewing WWHD staff member of another person that may have been exposed to them and that places that person at risk, **per CDC recommendations, then the WWHD contacts that new person(s) at risk. If the person is not a Westport or Weston resident, we inform other local health departments via the CT DPH software and their own town of residence public health agency performs that contact tracing.
Learn more about contact tracing:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/contact-tracing.html
**For COVID-19, a close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. The public health evaluation of close contacts to patients with laboratory-confirmed or probable COVID-19 may vary depending on the exposure setting. Contacts in special populations and/or congregate settings require additional considerations and may need handoff to a senior health department investigator or special team.
We appreciate the public’s cooperation if contacted, as we must all work together to slow the spread.