CT COVID hospitalizations dip, deaths continue to rise
Connecticut’s COVID hospitalizations declined slightly on Wednesday, but deaths associated with the disease continued to rise.
Health officials recorded 2,486 new COVID cases as the daily positivity rate reached 8.55 percent.
The state is below the national average for new cases per capita, according to data tracking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is trailing New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island among states in the Northeast.
Connecticut is slightly above the national average for new deaths per capita reported in the last seven days, according to the CDC.
Gov. Ned Lamont and members of his administration have said it’s not fair to compare the data between states because of the varying rates of testing.
Josh Geballe, Lamont’s chief operating officer, has Wednesday also marked also raised issue with how the first day of the state’s other states classify deaths General Assembly, with attributed to COVID-19. He lawmakers gathering outhas noted some states have doors despite the winter seen lower COVID-related chill to take the oath of ofdeaths, but have recordedfice. rising numbers of deaths Hospitalizations for the attributed to pneumonia. disease declined slightly
The new cases come a day from the previous day, with after a key subcommittee of a net 10 fewer patients bringLamont’s vaccine advisory ing the total statewide to group decided to move peo1,139. ple living in congregate The number of hospitalsettings and certain essential izations per million people workers into the next phase in Connecticut is a little of vaccine distribution. under the national average,
Earlier in the week, peoaccording to the COVID ple began receiving their Tracking Project. The state second doses of the vaccine trails all of the other Northin Connecticut. east states except Vermont,
The vaccine distribution New Hampshire and Maine. efforts have focused on As of Wednesday, Conhealth care workers and necticut has surpassed 4.5 those living in long-term million total tests since the care facilities. The next pandemic began after an phase of vaccinations will additional 29,080 diagnostic open up the availability of tests were recorded. the two shots approved by The death toll from the the Food and Drug Adminvirus continued to climb, istration to a wider swath of with 38 more deaths recordessential workers and others ed Wednesday, bringing the deemed at risk. statewide total to 6,230.