Coronavirus CT News: Danbury residents on alert after 'serious' virus outbreak
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DANBURY, Connecticut -- Residents of Danbury are being urged to take precautions after what officials have described as a "serious outbreak" of the coronavirus.
State health officials issued a COVID-19 alert Friday night that recommends that residents stay home, avoid unnecessary outings, limit indoor gatherings and avoid attending church services.
It also urged people to cooperate with contact tracers and get tested immediately if they feel they've been exposed, and self-quarantine for 14 days if they test positive.
"This is a serious outbreak in Danbury and we really need an all hands on deck approach," Acting DPH Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford said in a statement.
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The alert came days after a spike in cases led the city to cancel youth sports leagues.
The state reported the city of roughly 85,000 has had more than 178 confirmed cases from Aug. 2-20, compared to 40 new cases in the previous two-week period.
Mayor Mark Boughton told the News-Times that 44 new cases were reported on Friday alone. Acting city health director Kara Prunty told the newspaper the seven-day average of new cases went from 2.3 in the week of July 19 to 8.4 last week.
City officials have blamed the recent uptick on neighborhood gatherings such as barbecues; travel and youth sports.
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