Report by Paula Antolini, January 18, 2022, 8:12AM EDT
Town of Bethel . January 18, 2022:
RATE OF NEW COVID-19 CASES IN BETHEL REACHES NEW HIGH
Consistent with the national trend of rapidly rising COVID Omicron infections, last week Bethel’s rate of new infections reached a new high. Over the past six weeks, the rate of new cases in Bethel has risen from a rate of 4.9 per 100,000 population to 217.5.
Over that same time period, test positivity has risen from 6% to 29.4%. It is likely that almost every family in town has a family member or close family friend who is directly affected by this highly transmissible virus. Under these conditions it is also reasonable to assume that virtually anyone near you, including family members, may be carrying the virus without knowing it.Although there are currently no federal, state or local mandates in place, we strongly urge all Bethel neighbors to take the following precautions:
• Please continue to wear a mask whenever indoors in a public area. Masks are required in town-owned public buildings and schools, but many local businesses also continue to require masks to protect their employees. Please support our local businesses by respecting their wishes.
• If you are vaccinated but have not yet received the booster, please do so as soon as possible. The boosters have been shown to be highly effective at preventing the most serious symptoms and hospitalizations.
• Maintain all risk prevention protocols, including social distancing, thorough hand washing, keeping hands away from the face, etc.
For more information on COVID, vaccines, boosters and where to find them, please click here:
https://www.bethel-ct.gov/health/covid-19/vaccine
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