Danbury residents lined up on Memorial Drive Saturday to get tested after health officials warned of a "significant spike" in COVID-19 cases in the city.

The spike prompted the state Department of Public Health to issue a COVID-19 alert for Danbury Friday evening.

Officials on Friday confirmed nearly 180 new cases reported between Aug. 2 and Aug. 20, including 44 in the past 24 hours.

The number of cases jumped from just 40 cases two weeks prior.

The Health Department attributed the jump to domestic and international travel. Officials are asking all city residents, but especially those over the age of 60, to stay home this weekend.

 

They say the department will making hundreds of phone calls in the coming days in an attempt to trace the contacts of infected patients.

As a result, youth sports will be shut down in the city starting Monday.

Mayor Mark Boughton tells News 12 now is the time to stay vigilant against a potential second wave. He says this obviously factors into schools and their reopening plans, and that no final decisions have been made.

Danbury is also closing its boat ramps and asking all churches to return to virtual services.

Western Connecticut State University says that no students will be allowed to move in to residence halls effective Saturday for at least two weeks, in accordance with a recommendation from the state's Department of Public Health.

The school also says students already in the residence halls must stay on campus for two weeks.