LOOKING FOR POSITIVE SIGNS
Positivity rate, hospitalizations dip slightly, but amid a winter surge, there are mixed signals on whether the state’s gains will continue
Connecticut’s seven-day positivity rate and the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients both dropped for the third day in a row Friday, a positive sign as the state still waits for the latest coronavirus surge to ease.
For now, the number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Connecticut remain near the highest levels they’ve been at since last spring, with mixed signals about whether that will soon change.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday announced 1,878 new COVID-19 cases out of 30,303 tests, for a positivity rate of 6.2%. The state’s sevenday positivity rate now stands at 6.7%, down from more than 7% in recent days but still higher than at most points during the current wave.
Connecticut currently has 1,098 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, down 20 from Thursday and down more than 50 from earlier this week. Hospitalizations, considered a useful metric in measuring coronavirus prevalence, have remained largely flat over the past month after a sustained upward trend before that.
Hartford County continues to have the most hospitalized patients (354) of any Connecticut county, followed by New Haven County (299) and Fairfield County (248).
The state additionally announced 41 more coronavirus-linked deaths Friday, bringing its total to 6,594 during the pandemic, including 268 in the last week.
The United States has now recorded about 23.5 million COVID-19 total cases and 390,809 deaths, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University. Nationwide, cases, hospitalizations and deaths remain at or near record highs, amid the largest COVID-19 surge of the pandemic.
Connecticut continues to rank among the national leaders in vaccine distribution, with just under 5% of the state population having received at least one dose and more than 17,000 residents having gotten both of their required doses.
This week, Connecticut expanded its vaccination efforts to include all residents 75 or older, who may book appointments at ct.gov/covidvaccine or by calling (877) 918-2224 weekdays during business hours.
Cases, deaths drop in nursing homes
Cases and deaths in Connecticut nursing homes dropped this week, state numbers show, in a possible sign that vaccination has begun to have an effect.
The state reported 312 new cases and 85 new deaths in its nursing homes from Jan. 6-12, down from 483 and 111 the previous week.
Nursing home residents were among the first groups to be offered vaccines, and officials said more than 85% of them accepted. Though not all nursing home residents have received both of their vaccine doses, all who wanted have received at least a first dose, which is believed to confer some degree of immunity.
Lamont on Friday tweeted about this trend in the nursing home numbers, crediting vaccine distribution.
“As of last week, every nursing home in Connecticut completed their 1st round of the vaccine,” Lamont wrote. “It’s safe. It’s effective.”