Vaccines, Coronavirus Cases Both Up In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — All Connecticut residents 16 and older will become eligible for the coronavirus vaccine April 1, but it’ll likely be at least a few weeks before everyone who wants one can get one.

Connecticut continues to make rapid progress vaccinating the population. About 40 percent of people 18 and over have received at least one dose as of Thursday.

Fairfield had 18,771 first doses administered as of March 24. About 30.25 percent of town residents have received at least one dose, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The number of towns in the state’s weekly red zone for coronavirus infections increased by 16. Towns fall into the red zone when average daily cases exceed 15 per 100,000 people over a two-week average.

Fairfield recorded 101 new coronavirus cases between March 17 and March 25, according to the state Department of Public Health’s preliminary data. There have been 4,509 cases recorded since the pandemic began and 199 coronavirus deaths.

Fairfield had 25.1 average daily cases per 100,000 residents between March 7 and March 20, and a positive test rate of 1.9 percent. There were 18.7 average daily cases per 100,000 residents in the previous two-week reporting period. It’s important to note that a relatively small number of cases can have a big effect on the case rate, especially in smaller towns.