State’s positive test rate tops 5%
Hospitalizations jump above 500 as metrics continue to increase
Connecticut on Tuesday reported its highest single-day positivity rate in more than two months, as hospitalizations jumped above 500 and overall COVID-19 cases continued to rise.
As of Tuesday, Connecticut ranked fourth in the nation in terms of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, following New York, Michigan and New Jersey. The state on Tuesday reported 1,617 newly identified cases out of a total of 30,715 tests administered, for a positivity rate of 5.3%.
Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday he is watching the metrics “like a hawk” but does not plan to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions that were recently lifted across the state, or delaying the rollbacks that are scheduled for the coming days.
Still, Lamont acknowledged
that “our region is ticking up,” in terms of COVID-19 cases as well as fatalities. But compared to states like New York and Massachusetts, which rank in the top five of states in terms of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 residents, Connecticut ranks in the bottom third of the country.
“If you want to know what really concerns me, it’s fatalities and in that area, I think the state has done a really good job in keeping that way below the average,” he said.
“Right now, we know where we want to be, and that is continuing to wear the mask, especially if you’re in close company [and] the social distancing,” he said
Including Tuesday’s data, the state’s weekly average positivity rate increased to 3.7%. The state’s weekly rate inched as high as 3.7% last week, but before then had not been that high since early February.
Also on Tuesday, the state reported 20 additional hospitalizations, for a total of 518 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. After several weeks of a plateau, the state’s hospitalizations have been rising in the past week.
Since reporting 389 hospitalizations on March 22, the state’s number has now risen by more than 30%.
The state also reported two additional coronavirus-linked deaths on Tuesday.
Since the pandemic began, Connecticut has seen a total of 310,056 coronavirus cases and 7,885 coronavirus-linked deaths. Nationwide, there have been more than 30.3 million coronavirus cases and a total of 550,688 coronavirus deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
Beginning Friday, outdoor amusement parks will be able to open and outdoor event venues can increase to 50% capacity, capped at 10,000 people. Indoor stadiums will be able to open at 10% capacity.
State announces $33M toward vaccine equity
Connecticut plans to allocate $33 million in federal funding to assist local health departments and their partners in vaccinating underserved communities, state officials announced Tuesday.
L a mont ’ s office announced in a press release that the funding will aid “equity partnerships” and boost outreach into neighborhoods that have been identified as highly vulnerable.
The partnerships will be funded through “rapid grants,” the release said, and will be supported by data and advice from the state. Grant applications will be due by April 15, and will be awarded as early as April 23.
“The key to this effort is reaching out to every Connecticut resident where they live,” Lamont said in the release. “The only way we get to the other side of this pandemic is to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible. We need to do everything we can to make that happen.”
Connecticut’s vaccine rollout has so far been among the fastest in the country — but it has also left significant and growing racial disparities, with white residents significantly more likely to have been vaccinated than residents of color.
“We are hopeful that through this program we are going to see the gap close as we strive for our goal of a statewide vaccination rate of 70 percent or better,” said acting public health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford in the release.
Trinity Health plans 24-hour ‘Vax-A-Thon’
In an attempt to reach underserved residents of Hartford, Trinity Health of NewEngland is plannning a 24-hour “Vax-A-Thon” in the city.
The event will begin April 9, about a week and a half after Connecticut opens up appointments to all adults. Trinity Health plans to vaccinate around 4,000 people at the “Vax-A-Thon,” through both appointments and walk-ins.
Appointments are encouraged and can be made at TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Vax.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to provide equitable care for all community members,” said Trinity Health of New England Dr. Reginald Eadie in a release. “We are committed to ensuring easy access to the COVID-19 vaccine and are doing so with this unique Vax-A-Thon event as well as through our expanded network of vaccine clinics.”
The “Vax-A-Thon” will run from 5 p.m. April 9 to 5 p.m. April 10, at The Artists Collective at 1200 Albany Avenue.