HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that Connecticut's positivity rate was at 4.65% - a new high since April.
Earlier this month, on August 17, the state reported a positivity rate of 4.25%. That was the first time since April 14 - when it was 4.41% - that the state's positivity rate has been greater than 4%.
Tuesday's 4.65% positivity rate came after the state administered 21,582 tests and 1,003 came back positive
Despite the climb back above 4%, hospitalizations decreased by 17 patients, leaving 363 to be treated across the state.
At the beginning of the summer, residents in Connecticut saw a dramatic decline in new COVID-19 cases, positivity rate, and hospitalizations. Now, as the school year is underway, the state is experiencing another wave of the virus.
According to health experts, the Delta variant is to blame for this recent surge.
They say the new variant is more contagious than the original strand of the COVID-19 virus and say has sparked the "pandemic of the unvaccinated." However, there have been breakthrough cases for residents who are fully vaccinated against the virus.
Connecticut campaigned heavily to get residents vaccinated against the virus.
As of August 26, the state recorded 2,239,666 residents being fully vaccinated, according to the governor's office.
Last week, the state death toll was at 8,355 people.
--
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
