Daily coronavirus updates: Connecticut reporting fewest cases per capita of any U.S. state

Alex Putterman, Hartford Courant
·2 min read

Connecticut has reported the fewest per-capita COVID-19 cases of any U.S. state over the past two weeks, data aggregated by the New York Times showed Tuesday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Connecticut was averaging 14 daily cases per 100,000 residents, compared to 20 for the next lowest states, California and Maryland. Connecticut also has the third fewest COVID-19 hospitalizations per capita, with only Vermont and Massachusetts in better shape.

Most of the states with the fewest recent COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations also rank among the states with the highest levels of vaccination.

Connecticut’s COVID-19 numbers — like those of the nation as a whole — have begun to decrease in recent weeks following a surge fueled by the delta variant.

Cases and positivity rate

Connecticut on Tuesday reported 553 new COVID-19 cases out of 19,555 tests, for a positivity rate of 2.83%. The state’s seven-day positivity rate now stands at 2.25%, up slightly from Monday but down significantly from last week.

Connecticut has averaged 507 COVID-19 cases a day over the past week, down sharply from the seven days prior.

As of Tuesday, Hartford, Windham and New London counties were experiencing “high” levels of COVID-19 transmission as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while Connecticut’s five other counties were experiencing “substantial” transmission.

Hospitalizations

Connecticut now has 259 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, down five from Friday and fewest at a time since Aug. 15. Hospitalizations in Connecticut are down about 34% from the state’s delta variant peak in late August.

According to state numbers, about 74.9% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Connecticut are unvaccinated. Hospital officials say many of the vaccinated people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 were admitted for other reasons and do not have severe coronavirus symptoms and that about 90% of those hospitalized with serious symptoms are unvaccinated.

Deaths

Connecticut reports coronavirus-linked deaths once a week. Last Thursday, the state reported 36 COVID-19 deaths over the past week, bringing its total during the pandemic to 8,483.

The United States has now recorded 691,706 COVID-19 deaths, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.

Vaccinations

As of Friday, 75.9% of all Connecticut residents and 87.1% of those 12 and older had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 68.5% of all residents and 78.6% of those 12 and older were fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com.