Connecticut on Friday again reported a significantly higher positive coronavirus test rate than it had been reporting in the late summer, as the state’s spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths continues.
The state on Friday reported 679 newly identified cases out of a total of 23,435 tests administered — for a positivity rate of 2.9%. That’s nearly as high as the 3% rate that the state reported Tuesday, which was the highest number it had seen in four months. According to the COVID Tracking Project, Connecticut is among the leading states in testing for COVID-19.
Before Friday’s coronavirus numbers were officially released, Gov. Ned Lamont at a press appearanced announced the day’s positivity rate and acknowledged the ongoing spike.
“That’s not a trend I like to see,” Lamont said. “We’re not quite out of the woods yet.”
Along with positivity rate, hospitalizations and deaths are also on the rise. The state reported that an additional one person was hospitalized on Friday, for a total of 233 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19.
Again, the state hasn’t seen that many people hospitalized at a single time in four months. However, the state’s hospitals are not nearing capacity as they were in the spring, when there were nearly 2,000 people hospitalized at once.
As more people have been hospitalized for COVID-19, the number of deaths has also jumped over last month.
On Friday the state reported that eight additional people have died with COVID-19, for a total of 4,577 since the beginning of the pandemic.
With more than a week still left in October, the state has so far reported 69 coronavirus-related deaths this month. That’s more than twice the number of deaths the state reported in the entire month of August, when 33 people died with COVID-19.
With outbreaks taking root across Connecticut, the state is trying out a targeted approach to containing flare-ups. Two weeks ago, the governor rolled out a “red alert” list that flags municipalities that are averaging more than 15 new daily cases per 100,000 residents.
The state allows “red alert” municipalities to roll back to phase two reopening restrictions if they choose — although so far only Windham has taken advantage of that — and officials also encourage residents of those towns to get tested regularly and avoid gatherings with people outside of their households.
As of Thursday, there were 19 municipalities on the list. The state is expected to update the list weekly.
Emily Brindley can be reached at ebrindley@courant.com.