Virus-linked deaths nearing 9,000

Weekly test positivity rate reaches 6.14%, with statewide hospitalizations at highest since mid-february

The total number of deaths due to the coronavirus is nearing 9,000 for Connecticut while the weekly COVID-19 test positivity remains at its highest level since January, state officials reported Thursday.

Hospitalizations due to the virus — primarily among unvaccinated patients — are at their highest point since February. There were 37 additional COVID-19 fatalities over the last week.

The delta variant of COVID-19 is responsible for the vast majority of the state’s cases. So far, Connecticut has recorded just two cases of the omicron variant, one in Hartford County over the weekend and another in Fairfield County earlier this week.

“I understand the anxiety that’s surrounding the omicron variant, but the variant that is here right now, the delta variant, is predominant and its causing a lot of individuals to be in the hospital,” said Hartford Healthcare senior system director of infection prevention Keith Grant.

Emerging data suggests that omicron spreads quickly and that boosters deliver the best available protection against it, said Dr. Ulysses Wu, an infectious disease specialist at Hartford Healthcare.

Still, Wu characterized the delta variant as “the demon that we’re dealing with at this point.”

“Everybody’s got their eye focused on omicron, they’re focused on the bogeyman outside of the house,” Wu said. But delta, he said, is like the enemy that is “calling from inside the house.”

Cases and positivity rate:

Connecticut reported 2,679 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday out of 41,361 tests administered, for a daily positivity rate of 6.5% — lower than Tuesday’s rate of 8.3% but still higher than the state has seen for much of the past year.

The state’s seven-day positivity rate now stands at 6.14%, the highest it has been since mid-january.

Like the rest of the Northeast, eight Connecticut counties are currently recording “high” levels of COVID-19 transmission, as

defined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With that level of transmission, the CDC advises people to wear a mask in public indoor settings.

With the rising caseload, Newington said it was closing all town buildings to the public, except the public library. In East Hartford, Mayor Mike Walsh said masks are again required in public buildings.

“Because we are seeing a high level of community transmission, we will require employees and the public to wear a mask in all town facilities,’’ Walsh said. “Local businesses and organizations are strongly encouraged to implement a masking policy for indoor spaces to reduce the risk of transmission among employees and customers.”

Hospitalizations: As of Thursday, Connecticut has 576 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of one individual since Wednesday, when the state recorded a 50-person increase. Hospitalizations are currently at their highest point since Feb. 17.

According to state data, 77.4% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated.

Currently at Hartford Healthcare, 5% of COVID-19 patients in critical care are vaccinated, Grant said.

This past year, before vaccines were widely available, hospitalizations peaked at more than 1,100 in early January. In 2020, about a month into the pandemic, hospitalizations reached nearly 2,000 by mid-april.

Deaths: Connecticut reported 37 additional COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, bringing its total during the pandemic to 8,946.

The United States has now recorded 793,597 deaths related to COVID-19, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.

Vaccinations: As of Thursday, 85.5% of all Connecticut residents and 95% of those 12 and older had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 73.1% of all residents and 82.9% of those 12 and older were fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Additionally, about 30.8% of fully vaccinated Connecticut residents 18 or older have received a booster dose.

The CDC warns that booster shots are sometimes misclassified as first doses, likely inflating the reported number of first-dose coverage and understating the true number of people who have received boosters.

Compared to vaccinated residents, unvaccinated residents are currently five times more likely to be infected with COVID-19, 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus and 16 times more likely to die from it.