CT COVID-19 Positivity Rate Nears 24 Percent, Hospitalizations Up

CONNECTICUT — The daily coronavirus positivity rate in Connecticut has climbed to an 8-month high.

According to the latest data released by the state Department of Public Health, the daily coronavirus positivity now stands at 23.85 percent, up 2-and-a-third percent from the weekend numbers. There were 10,602 new confirmed cases, from 44,449 tests, added in the past 24 hours.

"I used to be a little dismissive of infection rates, as not a leading indicator, and was more concerned about hospitalizations," Lamont said during a news conference Tuesday. "I pay a lot more attention to it now because of workforce."

Lamont said he had become concerned with how the rising daily infection rate was impacting teacher and bus driver attendance, as well as the restaurant and manufacturing sectors.

"A 24 percent infection rate is lousy, and it will get worse before it gets better," Lamont said.

The governor said that state health and education officials were "more committed than ever" to keeping the schools open, despite the surge in COVID-19 infections. The school mask mandates would likely stay in effect for the duration of his emergency powers, scheduled to sunset on Feb. 15, according to the governor.

"I'm going to do everything I can to keep kids in classrooms safely," Lamont said. "Nothing compares to a great teacher in a classroom."

But he also urged parents to keep children home if they were the slightest bit symptomatic.

"If you have a child who is displaying flu symptoms, stay home," Lamont said. "It's probably COVID."

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, said the mask mandate has made "significant differences already," and urged residents who had completed their vaccine series to receive a booster shot.

"It is explicitly clear," Juthani said. "Three shots are what you need to be protected from COVID-19."

COVID-19 Test Kits Rolling Out To Schools

Following the unsteady rollout of at-home self-test kits to municipalities last week, Lamont announced that the state distributed 670,000 of the tests to schools and childcare providers statewide on Tuesday. More allocations would be made as the state secured more tests from vendors, according to the governor.

A total of 620,000 of the tests were given to public and private K-12 schools, and the remaining 50,000 were given to early childcare providers. Schools and early childcare providers began picking up their assigned allotments from the state’s five distribution centers this morning. The tests, which are intended to be used by both students and staff, were manufactured by iHealth Labs and FlowFlex.

Use of the tests by the institutions is voluntary. The State Department of Education provided school officials with guidance recommending that they be used if a child or staff person exhibits symptoms and needs to be screened for COVID-19, or has a direct exposure to someone with the virus. Should a class or program experience multiple cases of COVID-19, a school may want to distribute tests to all students in that classroom if they have difficulty accessing tests, the Department of Ed suggested. Students and staff who have had COVID-19 within the last 90 days do not need to test again, according to the guidance.

"Testing is just one of the many mitigation strategies aimed at keeping our students learning in person, where they learn best and have access to social-emotional and mental health supports, nutritious meals, physical activity, and more, "Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said in a news release.

Number of COVID-19 Patients in CT Hospitals Highest Since May 2020

Hospitalizations in Connecticut rose by 110 beds overnight. There are 1,562 patients currently hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19; of those 1,062, or 68 percent, are not fully vaccinated, according to DPH.

New Haven has the highest number of its residents hospitalized, at 539.

Just under 85 percent of Connecticut's population has been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC Tuesday afternoon.

See Also: CT News Anchor Returns To Airwaves After 18-Month Absence

• Area Schools Wrestle With Coronavirus-Fueled Fighting
  
• CT Man Had Videos Of Violent Child Rapes On Computer: PD

Instructions on how to get COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters in Connecticut are available online, as is a list of walk-up clinics sponsored by DPH.