HARTFORD, Conn. — Governor Lamont, returning from a short vacation, provided a COVID-19 update Thursday afternoon for Connecticut just weeks before students are set to return to school.
For now, the seven-day average for positive COVID tests remains under one percent. Since Wednesday there have been 118 new cases, with a 0.95% positivity rate, and one new death. Currently, there are 47 hospitalized.
Gov. Lamont also announced the state has surpassed more than one million COVID-19 tests and 75 percent of tests are returned in less than two days. Connecticut is in the top 10 in the country for testing per capita. He said considering the state’s COVID-19 data over the past few weeks and Connecticut’s schools are in the safe zone for reopening.
Ad of Wednesday, the state saw an increase of 59 coronavirus cases from Tuesday, bringing the total to 51,314.
Hospitalizations have been on the upward tick two days, with the total number in the state now at 49.
Before Tuesday, Connecticut had reported seeing the lowest hospitalizations due to COVID-19 since March 20.
The briefing was also used to unveil the launch of the new framework aimed at schools to help them make decisions about remote versus in-person learning. The website shows a breakdown of each of the county's COVID cases and infection rates. It will be updated weekly by the Department of Health.
Every week officials from the DPH, Education Department, and local health departments will look at the state COVID-19 statistics. With the information, the group will make any recommended changes between "low," "moderate," or "high" categories by county.
To view the website, click here.
Among the other variety of questions, the Governor and his staff answered, Lamont addressed the recent COVID-19 outbreak at Three Rivers Nursing home in Norwich. Several residents have been hospitalized and one has died due to the virus.
“This unfortunate outbreak underscores the need for all of us to keep our guard up in the fight against COVID-19,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford, MD MPH, said. “COVID is still present in our communities and the virus can spread quickly if we do not remain vigilant about controlling the infection. DPH is conducting an analysis to determine how the virus may have been introduced into Three Rivers, and we are investigating all aspects of this facility’s infection control practices, including appropriate cohorting, PPE use by staff, and appropriate staff screening.”
To view the lastest numbers on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes and assisted living facilities, click below: