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Experts Concerned About Delta Variant As Connecticut COVID-19 Positivity Rate Rises

A file photo of Keith Grant, Senior System Director, Infection prevention, Hartford HealthCare, taken on January 22, 2021. Grant is one of many American health experts sounding alarm over the Delta variant of the coronavirus. (Joe Amon/Connecticut Public)
Joe Amon/Connecticut Public
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Connecticut Public
Keith Grant, director of infection prevention at Hartford HealthCare, is one of many American health experts sounding the alarm over the delta variant of the coronavirus. He is shown here in a file photo taken on Jan. 22, 2021.

Connecticut’s COVID-19 positivity rate clocked in Wednesday at 1.28%, above 1% for the first time since June 1.

Keith Grant, the director of infection prevention for the Hartford HealthCare network, said cases could be on the rise because the delta variant has become the dominant strain of coronavirus in Connecticut.

It’s all got him worried about Connecticut’s unvaccinated population.

“We have a group that’s not vaccinated that’s very high-risk that’s now dealing with a virus that’s about 40 percent in many studies more contagious than the virus that got us to this point – I’m talking about a pandemic,” Grant said.

Also, on Wednesday, state lawmakers re-upped Gov. Ned Lamont’s COVID-19-era emergency powers for two additional months through Sept. 30.

The news about Connecticut’s positivity rate emboldened Lamont to say he still needs to act with executive authority.

“We’re still one of the best in the country, but it just tells you we’re not out of the woods and I really appreciate the legislature giving me a little bit of discretion so we can respond quickly if we have to, if this delta variant gets more dangerous,” Lamont said.

Another Hartford HealthCare infectious disease expert shared Grant's concern over the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases of late, also echoing a need for inoculation.

The number of hospitalizations and deaths has been stable and according to Dr. Ulysses Wu, that means that while cases are increasing, the vaccine is working.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.