Positivity rate remains low as hospitalizations, deaths decline
Connecticut’s COVID-19 positivity rate remains near its lowest levels since last fall, state numbers show, while hospitalizations and deaths related to the disease continue to decrease.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday reported 787 new COVID-19 cases out of 35,512 tests, for a positivity rate of 2.2%. Connecticut’s seven-day positivity rate now stands at 2.7%, down from Wednesday and Thursday though up slightly from the previous few days.
The state also reported 21 new cases of the B117 variant, originally detected in the United Kingdom, among samples collected between Feb. 3 and Feb. 17. Connecticut has now traced 63 cases of the variant in total, along with one case of the variant first discovered in South Africa.
As of Friday, the state had 451 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down 34 from Thursday and the lowest total since Nov. 8.
Connecticut reported eight additional coronavirus-linked deaths Friday, making 7,622 during the pandemic. That makes 99 deaths over the past week, fewest in any single-day period since mid-November.
The United States has now seen 509,351 COVID-19 deaths, most of any nation, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
Center at Johns Hopkins University.
Despite declining COVID19 numbers, Connecticut continues to list 116 of its 169 municipalities under its “red alert” advisory, indicating at least 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents. The towns of Salem, Watertown, Westbrook, Clinton and Union had the highest rates of new cases from Feb. 7-20, according to state numbers.
Connecticut r a nks fourth among states in the share of its population to have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, behind Alaska, NewMexico and South Dakota. As of Friday, about 18% of state residents had received at least one dose and about 8% had received both doses.
Connecticut’s vaccination efforts will expand Monday, when all residents age 55 and older become eligible, along with teachers and other K-12 educators.