Lamont: State’s trends a worry
Hospitalizations are at the highest level in more than two months
Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday noted “concerning” trends in Connecticut’s COVID-19 numbers, as the state’s rate of positive tests ticked up and the number of hospitalized patients climbed to its highest level in more than two months.
“This is something we’re watching carefully to see to what degree it’s seasonal, to what degree it’s people coming back [from traveling], to what degree it’s Labor Day,” Lamont said. “This reminds you why we continue to be very cautious.”
The state on Thursday announced 220 additional cases of COVID-19 out of 13,857 tests, for a positive test rate of about 1.6% — the state’s highest in a given day since late June. Connecticut currently has 75 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, up five from Wednesday and the most at a time since July 10.
As recently as Wednesday, Lamont had downplayed the uptick, noting that Connecticut’s numbers remain lower than those in most other regions and far lower than those the state experienced early in the pandemic. On Thursday, though, the governor acknowledged the recent trend, pointing to increases in both positivity rate and hospitalizations.
Experts have predicted an increase in Connecticut’s numbers
as the fall progresses, due to students returning to school, outdoor gatherings moving indoors and potential fatigue with control measures.
However, state officials said they don’t see the recent uptick as related to K-12 schools reopening.
“The timing doesn’t line up,” Josh Geballe, the state’s chief operating officer, said. “From the time of a transmission event to when you begin to see the cases there’s typically a two-week lag, and schools have just been coming in.”
Geballe pointed instead to clusters at UConn and Central Connecticut State University, as well as an ongoing outbreak in Danbury.
Once again, Thursday’s numbers showed a large share of coronavirus cases among Connecticut’s younger residents, with nearly half of all recorded infections last week coming from individuals under age 30 and more than half coming from those under age 40.
UConn has reported more than 200 positive tests among Storrs students and currently has 33 students in isolation beds on campus.
Due to cases at the school, the town of Mansfield had the fourth most cases of any Connecticut municipality last week, behind Danbury, Hartford and New Britain.
Geballe said he was “disappointed” that Danbury’s caseloads had increased again in recent weeks after dipping previously and that the state would “flood additional testing” into the city and weigh other interventions.
The state reported one additional coronavirus-linked death Thursday, bringing its total during the pandemic to 4,488. The United States has seen 197,364 COVID-19 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.
Senators ask Lamont to test students
Fifteen senate Democrats on Thursday wrote to Lamont and acting public health commissioner Dr.
Deidre Gifford requesting state funding to regularly test K-12 students and teachers for COVID-19.
“We believe that some level of free COVID testing for students and teachers is necessary throughout the year to ensure that schools stay open and safe,” the senators wrote.
“This data is also critical to an effective contact tracing system within schools and in the broader community.”
The group, which included Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, suggested testing “on a randomized or rolling basis” to help identify cases among asymptomatic children.
Asked about the letter, Lamont deferred to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying he’s not sure students require regular testing.
“We’re looking at that, but the CDC doesn’t recommend it,” Lamont said. “Especially in our schools you have a positivity rate of less than 1%, so it was considered unnecessary.”
Geballe noted that children who are symptomatic or have had close contact with an infected individual are “welcomed and encouraged” to get tested.