CT death toll in coronavirus pandemic tops 4,000

A somber Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday announced that Connecticut’s death toll in the coronavirus pandemic has topped 4,000.

“I remember a few months ago when the surgeon general came to our state and thought it might be like a bad flu season, which, say, is 150 fatalities,” Lamont said during his daily news briefing from the state Capitol. “The good news, I guess, if there is anything that’s good news, again, our positivity rate is low. That’s 148 tested positive out of 5,000 tests. That’s less than 3 percent. It’s been less than five percent for a week, so I think you see we’re making progress there.”

Eighteen new fatalities brought the statewide total to 4,007. A net decline of 33 hospitalizations brings the total patients to 373, which is lower than the March 29 hospitalizations, and about 75 percent off the peak of 1,972 patients on April 22. The first fatality occurred on March 17.

On Wednesday, 17 deaths brought the total to 3,989.

In nursing homes and assisted living centers combined, the total number of deaths as of Wednesday was 2,879, or 71 percent of the overall state total, the same percentage as one week earlier.

Nursing home and assisted living deaths continued to decline, with 154 in the week ending Wednesday — down from 229 the prior week and 293 the week before that. Deaths outside of nursing homes totaled 27 in the week ending Wednesday, following weeks with a total of 111 and 68.

There are now 43,239 people who have tested positive for COVID-19. That includes 8,517 cases in nursing homes and 1,041 in assisted living.

Lamont continued to ask that people who feel sick, or in higherrisk groups, including people who live in congregate housing and the state’s cities, take advantage of the free testing available.

Lamont said he is worried that people “get casual” and forget social distancing guidelines, including six-foot distances and the wearing of masks in public. “We’re having to urge people to get tested,” he said. “I see the flareup in Charlotte, I see the flare-ups in Phoenix, Arizona. I see what’s going on around the country, along with South Korea. Israel just had to close down their schools, which is why we’re being so careful as we reopen.”