CT Coronavirus Positivity Rate, Red Zones Drop

CONNECTICUT — The number of communities falling within the state's red alert level for coronavirus infections dropped by five towns this week, even as Gov. Ned Lamont called out 13 towns as high-infection hot spots.

Connecticut's overall infection rate was 30.1 average daily cases per 100,000 residents between March 14 and 27. Five of the "hot spots" have inspection rates more than twice that number.

Towns fall into the red zone when average daily cases exceed 15 per 100,000 population over a two-week average. There are now 141 of 169 towns still in the red zone, down from 146 in last week's reckoning.

The color codes correspond to guidance from the state Department of Public Health about various activities.

Orange (10-14): Barkhamsted, Canton, East Lyme, Old Lyme, Pomfret, Sharon, Simsbury, Stafford, Stonington and Waterford

Yellow (5-9): Essex, Lisbon, Salem and Willington

Gray (less than five): Ashford, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chester, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Lyme, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan, Scotland and Warren

The daily coronavirus positivity rate in Connecticut has dropped from 3.28 percent to 2.41 percent in the latest data released by the state Department of Public Health on Thursday.

The positivity rate is a function of the daily number of positive COVID-19 cases versus the number of tests. There were 1,012 new confirmed cases logged out of 42,067 tests taken.

One more resident was admitted to a Connecticut hospital on Wednesday with COVID-19, bringing the number of those hospitalized with the virus to 515.

Coronavirus-associated deaths across the state rose by five on Wednesday. The COVID-19 death toll in Connecticut now stands at 7,940.

See Also: Coronavirus Hot Spots Crop Up In Connecticut: Here's Where

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