Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said Tuesday the state reached a new record high of 24% for its daily coronavirus test positivity rate. The number outpaced a record 21% positivity rate set on Monday.
“Twenty-four percent infection rate is lousy, and it may get worse before it gets better,” Lamont said at a press conference regarding the COVID-19 mitigation plan for schools.
Lamont said the positivity rate is becoming more important because of the impact it can have on the number of available workers. If too many people get sick, it can cause a shortage of bus drivers, teachers, factory workers or restaurant servers.
“But we have the tools in place, provided you take advantage of the tools, the masks, the vaccinations, and then the testing,” Lamont said.
The governor said helpful new developments since the start of the pandemic include vaccine booster shots and more widely-available N95 masks.
“We have the tools to keep you safe and to keep going about our lives,” Lamont said.
The state’s seven-day average positivity rate stands above 20%, which Connecticut has not seen since the spring of 2020.
Hospitalizations of COVID-positive patients have also exceeded the previous winter peak from December 2020. The state said more than 70% of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated.
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