New London County's COVID cases up 81.9%; Connecticut cases surge 68.4%

Mike Stucka
·3 min read

New coronavirus cases leaped in Connecticut in the week ending Sunday, rising 68.4% as 13,288 cases were reported. The previous week had 7,891 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Connecticut ranked sixth among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 21.4% from the week before, with 605,127 cases reported. With 1.07% of the country's population, Connecticut had 2.2% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 47 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Luis and Irene Ferrolho have spent most of the past 15 months of the pandemic at home with their children in New Jersey, twins Alexandra and Dimitri, 8. Because Dimitri suffers from disability due to being born premature, they can’t risk exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Irene had to quit her job and help the children with virtual learning and therapy and Luis does his work online from home. While they have grown closer to each other, they do look forward to less isolation when it is safer for Dimitri.

New London County reported 1,057 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 581 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 58,138 cases and 662 deaths.

Windham County reported 345 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 199 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 26,643 cases and 305 deaths.

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Within Connecticut, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Middlesex County with 445 cases per 100,000 per week; Hartford County with 403; and New London County with 399. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Hartford County, with 3,590 cases; New Haven County, with 3,282 cases; and Fairfield County, with 3,276. Weekly case counts rose in eight counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Hartford, Fairfield and New Haven counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Connecticut ranked third among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 95.6% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Wednesday, Connecticut reported administering another 41,814 vaccine doses, including 6,208 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 48,236 vaccine doses, including 7,082 first doses. In all, Connecticut reported it has administered 7,633,043 total doses.

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In Connecticut, 40 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 24 people were reported dead.

A total of 779,460 people in Connecticut have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 10,914 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 82,468,606 people have tested positive and 999,602 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Connecticut's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 15.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 720

  • The week before that: 587

  • Four weeks ago: 415

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Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 49,753

  • The week before that: 44,912

  • Four weeks ago: 37,527

Hospitals in 45 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 29 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 41 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: New London County reported 1,057 additional COVID-19 cases this week