Positivity hits rate last seen in April

Unvaccinated more than 10 times likelier to be hospitalized

Connecticut’s COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths increased Thursday as the state’s delta variant surge continues.

After increasing sharply in July and early August, the state’s coronavirus metrics have risen more gradually in recent weeks, though the weekly positivity rate has now climbed to its highest level since early April.

“In general things have been stable over the last couple of weeks,” said Dr. David Banach, an epidemiologist at Uconn Health. “There’s going to be some day-to-day fluctuation, but in the bigger picture it’s going to be stable.”

Dr. Ulysses Wu, an infectious disease specialist at Hartford Healthcare, said he expects Connecticut’s numbers to decline in September but that they may rise again this fall as the weather cools and activity moves back indoors.

“Until we vaccinate, we should expect to keep [COVID] here for a while,” Wu said.

According to state numbers released Thursday, unvaccinated people in Connecticut have been about five times as likely as fully vaccinated people to test positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks and more than 10 times as likely to be hospitalized.

Cases and positivity rate: Connecticut on Thursday reported 788 COVID-19 cases out of 21,649 tests, for a positivity rate of 3.64%. The state’s seven-day positivity rate now stands at 3.52%, its highest level since the first week of April.

Connecticut has averaged 642 cases a day over the past week, its highest average since early May.

Ninety-two of the Connecticut’s 169 municipalities now qualify for the state’s “red alert” level, signaling at least 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents.

At a COVID-19 testing site in Hartford on Thursday afternoon, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz encouraged Connecticut residents to get tested for COVID19 if they are feeling sick or have been in contact with someone carrying the virus.

“It is really important, especially during the summer, and as we get ready to go back to school, a lot of people have been traveling in and out of Connecticut, and the virus is continuing to be here, especially the Delta variant, which is highly communicable,” Bysiewicz said.

Hospitalizations: As of Thursday, Connecticut has 380 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, up two from Wednesday but down from earlier this week.

According to the state, 79% of those hospitalized are either unvaccinated or of unknown vaccine status.

Deaths: Connecticut on Thursday reported 25 COVID-19 deaths over the past week, up from 21 the week prior. The state has now recorded 8,355 coronavirus-linked deaths during the pandemic.

The United States has recorded 632,911 COVID19 deaths, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.

Vaccinations: As of Thursday, 72.8% of all Connecticut residents and 83.6% of those 12 and older had received at least one COVID19 vaccine dose, while 65.3% of all residents and 75% of those 12 and older were fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 vaccination in Connecticut has increased in recent weeks, likely due to concern about rising spread. Providers across the state administered nearly 50,000 doses from Aug. 15-21, most in a week since late June.