Daily coronavirus updates: COVID-19 positivity rate, hospitalizations drop in Connecticut as more than half of adults have received vaccine

Connecticut’s COVID-19 positivity rate and hospitalizations dropped over the weekend, state numbers show, as more than half of adults have now received at least one vaccine dose.

Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday announced 2,985 new COVID-19 cases out of 98,891 tests, for a positivity rate of 3.03%. The state’s seven-day positivity rate now stands at 3.3%, lowest it has been in about three weeks.

Connecticut currently has 524 residents hospitalized with COVID-19, down seven from Friday.

“Our numbers have stabilized, and I think that’s better than some of the alternatives,” Lamont said. “We take nothing for granted, but I think we continue to make good progress in our region, particularly in Connecticut.”

The state announced 13 additional coronavirus-linked deaths, bringing its total to 7,957 during the pandemic. The United States has now recorded 562,428 COVID-19 deaths, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.

Connecticut continues to rank among the states with the highest rate of residents vaccinated, with about 52% of those 16 and older (and 44% of all residents) having received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose so far. That includes 30% of residents 16-44, most of whom became eligible for vaccination for the first time on April 1.

Officials said Monday that vaccination efforts will be hampered somewhat by a decline in supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to an issue at a manufacturing facility. Josh Geballe, the state’s chief operating officer, said “the vast majority” of Johnson & Johnson doses will go toward mobile vaccine units, which vaccinate hard-to-reach residents.

Lamont noted that vaccine appointments have become easier to come by in recent days after an initial rush — and will become even more widely available in the coming weeks.

“You could’ve found appointments this morning for later today,” Lamont said. “You haven’t been able to say that in some months.”

State falls well short of equity targets

In the most recent week of state data, Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccine providers allocated a lower percent of vaccines to vulnerable neighborhoods than they had allocated in the prior week — even as the state’s equity goal increased.

In the week ending April 3, vaccine providers administered 22% of doses in highly vulnerable ZIP codes. That’s down three points from the prior week, meaning providers moved further away from the state’s equity goals.

Geballe on Monday attributed the drop to two factors. First, an increase in the state’s overall vaccine shipment led to the state allocating more doses to local health departments, particularly in the suburbs, that had additional capacity. Second, the most recent week of data included an eligibility shift, with all adults becoming eligible for vaccinations on April 1.

“We’re really proud of a lot of the work that’s going on around the state, in our cities in particular, to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated,” Geballe said. “We’re going to keep pushing every angle we can.”

But in addition to vaccine providers moving further from the target, the target also recently moved further from providers. On April 1, when the state expanded vaccination eligibility to all Connecticut adults, the state also moved up the target allocation and now advises providers to administer 31% of their doses to residents of vulnerable ZIP codes. That means providers were a full 9% behind their goal in the most recent week of data.

Geballe said pharmacies have particularly lagged in allocating doses to vulnerable areas but that he thinks their numbers will improve as supply begins to exceed demand.

“The problem has been that people that live in those [vulnerable] communities aren’t the ones who are first able to get to those appointments at the pharmacies,” Geballe said. “We’re hoping that dynamic will turn, and that will help a lot.”

Guidance for proms

Lamont on Monday said high schools will be able to host proms this spring, though he suggested they be held outside, preferably later in the spring.

“The later you can do it the warmer it is, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to have that graduation or prom outside,” he said. “The later you do it the higher the vaccination rates we have, and what a difference that can make.”

In guidance about proms and graduations released Friday, the Department of Public Health said attendees should plan on wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

Even as these events are allowed to proceed, “the risk of spread of COVID-19 among school staff, students, and their families participating in these activities during the pandemic remains significant,” state health officials said.

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