More than 46,000 COVID-19 tests were administered in Connecticut on Thursday, Feb. 18, resulting in 1,198 confirmed positive cases.
The 2.58 percent positivity rate is up slightly from 2.02 percent the day before, but dramatically lower than last month, when it approached double digits. The number is still one of the lowest since before Thanksgiving.
According to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, the 27 new COVID-19 fatalities brought the total statewide to 7,523 since the pandemic began nearly a year ago. Nearly two dozen more COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals across Connecticut, with 535 now being treated for the virus.
There have been a total of 273,101 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Connecticut out of more than 6.4 million tests that were administered since last March.
As of Thursday, Feb. 18, Connecticut has administered 504,129 first doses of the vaccine, and 242,759 second doses - 746,888 total - making the state third in the nation for vaccine distribution.
Lamont said that the state is receiving 69,000 COVID-19 vaccination first doses this week for more than 300,000 Connecticut residents who will be newly eligible.
According to Lamont, 68 percent of residents over the age of 75 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 29 percent of those between the ages of 65 and 74 have been vaccinated.
Lamont also made note that Connecticut is the first state in the country to get shots in the arms of all staff and residents in nursing homes who wished to be vaccinated. He said that in slightly more than a month, the cases among nursing homes dropped dramatically from 483 to 30.
The latest breakdown of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, by county, according to the state Department of Health on Feb. 19:
- Fairfield: 77,794;
- New Haven: 68,953;
- Hartford: 68,277;
- New London: 18,574;
- Litchfield: 10,790;
- Middlesex: 10,047;
- Windham: 8,976;
- Tolland: 7,584;
- Unknown: 935.
A complete list of cases, by communities, can be found here by clicking and scrolling down
Click here to follow Daily Voice Darien and receive free news updates.