HARTFORD, Conn. — COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Connecticut. On April 1, the daily test positivity rate was 3.68%. Now three weeks later, the test positivity rate stands at 8.09%, according to data from the state averaged over the past seven days.
The spring weather Friday comes at a time when pandemic restrictions have largely loosened; mask mandates have since lifted in most cities across the state and at events.
“The weather’s amazing. I’m so glad I can walk around and walk the streets again," Maxwell Glanovski from West Hartford said. “There’s more people around which is cool.”
Folks were out taking advantage of the weather with some outdoor dining in West Hartford and over in Hartford, an evening of baseball at Dunkin' Donuts Park.
Yard Goats fans said they’re glad to see signs of normalcy.
"Especially with the girls and the kids, they were in school and they were taken away from their friends and regular day to day life and for them to go back now and have these functions now and for all of us to come together, it’s awesome, it really is," Matthew Wrobel from Plainville said.
The COVID-19 positivity rate has been on the rise for the past couple of weeks.
"We could be worse but I don’t want people to think that we’re in a good place either, because the numbers are rising but it could be a lot worse and a lot of that is due to the nature of the virus itself but that vaccinations and herd immunity are helping this as well," Dr. Ulysses Wu, Chief Epidemiologist for Hartford HealthCare, said.
Dr. Wu said the nice weather is also helping because people are outside.
But this also comes at a time when pandemic restrictions are being loosened, such as mask mandates on public transportation.
"The relaxing of the masking on transportation will just continue to the rise that has already been happening," he said.
Some residents are concerned we may move backward.
“I think we’re going to go back to mask-wearing. I think that everybody is free, it’s nice and warm out so nobody is worrying about it, but I also think because of spring break and everybody back together in school again, I think the numbers are going to rise again," Barbara Saelens from Farmington said.
Dr. Wu's advice is to practice common-sense safety precautions and when it comes to masks, wear them in situations where you want to feel safer.
Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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