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.
