Coronavirus Omicron Variant Is 2.3% Of Cases In CT, New England

CONNECTICUT — Though the delta variant of the coronavirus remains the dominant strain in Connecticut, the omicron variant is gaining traction, with 2.3 percent of cases in New England now tied to the new variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In New York and New Jersey, omicron is much more prevalent, accounting for 13.1 percent of coronavirus cases, which could mean Connecticut could soon see a significant increase in omicron cases.

However, according to CDC head Rochelle Walensky, the omicron variant appears to be less severe than delta, she said on the "Today Show," though she remains concerned about it. Connecticut has 11 omicron cases, as of Wednesday.

Overall, the number of COVID-19 cases in Connecticut rose by 1,723 as of Wednesday, and while the positivity rate dropped from Tuesday's 8.16 percent, it was still above the 5 percent threshold at 7.15 percent.

Coronavirus hospitalizations in the state continued to rise Wednesday, up 35 to 716, their highest level since February, according to Connecticut health officials. Of those 716, roughly 75 percent, or 537 patients, are not fully vaccinated.

Since Thanksgiving weekend, coronavirus hospitalizations have more than doubled in Connecticut.

More than 2.43 million Connecticut residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and only 1.2 percent of the virus's cases in the state are among the fully vaccinated.

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The latest statistics on the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the state will be released on Thursday, but last week the total number of deaths since March 2020 had reached 8,972.

For a town-by-town breakdown of new COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, see the Connecticut Data Portal.