CT COVID infection rate increases

Here are the most important things to know about coronavirus in Connecticut:

Cases increase, positivity rate up

On Thursday, the state of Connecticut announced 220 new coronavirus cases, one more death and five more hospitalizations since Wednesday. The positivity rate (the percentage of total tests that are positive) is at 1.6 percent, an increase from Wednesday’s rate of 1.2 percent. Gov. Ned Lamont said during a news conference that it was a troubling trend, though still far lower than the positivity rate in many other states.

Intimate partner violence not being reported during the pandemic

There is a pandemic within the pandemic, according to a perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Calls to hotlines about intimate partner violence dropped 50 percent in some places, but that doesn’t mean the violence has stopped. Instead, it suggests that intimate partners are unable or unwilling to reach out because they are trapped with their abusers in isolation and quarantine.

COVID-19 transmission rate increases

Connecticut's transmission rate has increased to 1.17. This means that every infected individual is expected to pass the virus along to more than one other person, indicating that the virus is spreading. Connecticut has not seen a transmission rate this high since April 1, when it was at 1.16, according to rt.live’s model. A number above 1.0 indicates that COVID-19 will spread quickly; anything below signals that infections will slow.

Moderna releases new details about its vaccine trial

Biotech company Moderna has released details about the vaccine trial going forward. The first analysis of trial data may not be done until late December and those results may not be enough to tell if the vaccine works, according to the document. The next analysis of results will not be until March.

3-year-olds are now to wear masks at child care programs

Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood announced that soon 3-yearolds will be required to wear face masks at child care programs. The mandate will take effect Sept. 21, as part of a state order.