CDC: State’s COVID death rate still above national average
There were 27 more COVID-related deaths recorded Tuesday in Connecticut, which continues to have a higher death rate per capita than the national average, according to federal data.
On Tuesday, Connecticut recorded 1,583 new cases of COVID-19 with a daily positivity rate of
6.67 percent. Connecticut has dropped below the national average of new
COVID-19 cases per capita over the last seven days, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state now also ranks behind Massachusetts and Rhode Island among New England states.
But Connecticut is still recording deaths at a slightly higher rate per capita than the national average, according to the CDC’s data. The state’s seven-day death rate per capita is the second-highest in New England, topped only by Rhode Island.
Rhode Island had been leading the country in new cases per capita, but has fallen recently as infections have surged in Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and California.
After being on a steady decline, Connecticut COVID hospitalizations increased by 16 on Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 1,159.
Hospitalizations for the disease had fallen in recent days, including over a seven-day period earlier this month.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday pointed to falling hospitalizations as a reason not to go back into a full lockdown after he was asked if a second federal coronavirus relief bill would prompt him to do so.
Congress passed a $900 billion relief bill Monday night, sending the second comprehensive COVID-19 aid package to President Donald Trump’s desk, the Associated Press reported . The package includes funding for a second round of stimulus payments to most Americans, 11 weeks increased unemployment benefits and aid for businesses.
But Lamont also urged Connecticut residents to avoid family gatherings over the holidays, pointing to a noticeable bump in infections attributed to Thanksgiving. He said the state is preparing for another spike after the holidays.
“My strong recommendation is, especially for older folks, stay close to home,” Lamont said. “Zoom with grandma and grandpa and enjoy a really nice holiday in a few months after they’ve been vaccinated. But look, we’re ready.”
Last week, the National Guard set up a field hospital at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The facility, which Lamont has described as precautionary in case of a surge, will be staffed with Hartford HealthCare doctors and nurses and is meant to
take patients in recovery who no longer need ICU beds.
The state has also altered its travel advisory so foreign and domestic
travelers from everywhere except New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island must either quarantine for 10 days or produce a negative test.
The new rules also allow out-of-state travelers who have had the disease in the past 90 days and recovered to skip quarantine.