CT COVID-19 Infection Rate Steady As Deaths, School Cases Rise

CONNECTICUT — Thirty-three residents have died from COVID-19 over the past seven days, up from last week's report of 25 deaths from the state Department of Public Health. The coronavirus death toll in the state is currently 8,809.

The number of Connecticut towns in the COVID-19 high-alert red zone has held steady at 31, in the most recent DPH data.

The eastern part of the state continues to be the hot spot, with the greatest concentration of red zone municipalities. The Naugatuck valley has lightened up a bit, as have the already low-infection western and northwestern towns.

The color codes correspond to guidance from DPH. Populations in the red zone have reported 15 or more cases per 100,000 people over a two-week average.

Those towns in the red category are: Berlin, Bethlehem, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Goshen, Griswold, Hampton, Harwinton, Killingly, Lisbon, Litchfield, Morris, Naugatuck, New Hartford, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Oxford, Plainfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Putnam, Sprague, Sterling, Stonington, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Windsor Locks, and Wolcott.

On Thursday, COVID-19 positivity dropped back below 3 percent, to 2.42 percent, compared to the Wednesday's numbers. Out of 22,343 tests taken, 540 cases were confirmed.

According to the vaccine tracker maintained by the Mayor Clinic, about 71 percent of Connecticut's total population has received all their COVID-19 vaccine shots as of Thursday afternoon. Nationwide, just over 59 percent of the population has completed their vaccine series. Connecticut's vaccination rate is tied with Maine's, and second behind only that of Vermont.

As of Thursday, those residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 include more than 95 percent of those over the age of 65, 92 percent of those between 55-64, 84 percent of those between 45-54 (up 1 percent from last week), 84 percent of those between 35-44, 77 percent of those between 25-34, 71 percent of those between 18-24, 80 percent of those between 16-17, and 71 percent of those between 12-15. Except where noted, there has been no percentage increase in the number vaccinated in each age tier since last week.

Initial data on the 5 to 11 age group, which was just approved last week to be vaccinated, are still being collected, according to DPH.

The progress toward compete vaccination proceeds slowly, as illustrated in the graph above.

Predictably, residents in the eastern area of the state, with the highest coronavirus infection rates, are also least likely to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the data released by DPH.

Mansfield remains the outlier, still with less than 39 percent of its population fully vaccinated. Of all Connecticut municipalities, only Canaan has fully vaccinated all its residents.

Breakthrough Cases and Hospitalizations

DPH is reporting that as of Thursday, a total of 19,383 cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut have been confirmed. Of the more than 2.4 million people in Connecticut who have completed their vaccine series, 0.81 percent have contracted the virus.

The number of Connecticut hospital beds claimed by COVID-19 patients rose by four overnight. There are 238 patients currently hospitalized with the coronavirus in the state. Of those, 70, or 29.4 percent, are fully vaccinated.

Most of the Connecticut residents hospitalized for COVID-19 (80) can be found within hospitals in New Haven County.

See Also: CT High School Students To Decide Where $1.5 Million Will Go

• UConn Taps NFL, College Veteran Jim Mora As Next Football Coach
  
• New CT Hospital Safety Ratings: 8 Get 'A' Grade, 2 Get 'D'

During the week of Nov. 4-10, 305 Connecticut schools reported coronavirus cases, up 43 from last week. All but two of these counted less than six cases reported at each school during the reporting period. DPH reported that John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield recorded eight coronavirus cases, and Putnam Middle School had seven.