CT’s COVID-19 positivity rate is approaching 3%; CDC Says 2 Counties Have ‘Substantial’ Transmission – NBC Connecticut



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Connecticut’s COVID-19 positivity rate rose to 2.96% on Wednesday, reflecting the upward trend state officials warned they were watching.

There were 13,223 new tests reported on Wednesday, of which 391 came back positive. There are currently 103 patients hospitalized with the virus, which is a net decrease of two from the previous day.

The state publishes information on COVID-19-related deaths once a week on Thursdays. The last number of deaths reported was 8,286.

Connecticut has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, but there are growing concerns about the delta variant, which is becoming increasingly important and is the cause of 80% of new COVID-19 cases in the country.

State officials are urging residents to get vaccinated to help curb the spread of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended that even fully vaccinated people resume wearing masks indoors in areas where the infection is spreading extensively. Currently, according to the CDC’s transmission tracker, the counties of Hartford and New London are considered to have “substantial” spread, reaching the threshold for wearing masks indoors.

The CDC tracker classifies regions into four groups – low, moderate, substantial, and high. The remaining Connecticut counties are currently listed in the moderate category.

The CDC guidelines are not a mandate and it is up to national and local authorities to determine mask policies for their regions. Earlier today, Governor Ned Lamont said the state has no plans to put further restrictions in place. Decisions on schools will be made in a few weeks, he added.

The counties of Hartford and New London are now classified as having “substantial” transmission of COVID-19, which puts them on the threshold of the CDC’s recommendation for indoor masks.

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