CT COVID-19 Hospitalizations Highest They’ve Been Since May

Connecticut's COVID-related hospitalizations have reached a total of just shy of 500, which is a number not seen since May 29.

There was an increase of 94 hospitalizations since Friday.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the state has doubled hospitalizations in the past few weeks.

The state's positivity rate is 3.7%, with 3,338 more people testing positive for the virus over the weekend.

An additional 27 people have died. The state's death toll is now 4,698.

Governor Lamont announced a significant jump in COVID-19 hospitalizations since Friday.

On Friday, the state's positivity rate was at 3.6% and coronavirus-related hospitalizations climbed above 400, the highest number since June 2.

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Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine

Pfizer announced Monday that early data of its coronavirus vaccine developed along with German biotech firm BioNTech shows its vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 among those without evidence of prior infection.

The news was welcomed by heath experts around the world.

"With this particular vaccine, no corners were cut," Senior Vice President of Global Drug Safety Research and Development for Pfizer, John Burkhardt, said. Burkhardt is also the director of Pfizer's lab site in Groton.

About 200 employees are working on this vaccination project in Groton, according to Burkhardt.

"I'm really proud of the way Groton plays a role in this," Burkhardt said.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching and coronavirus cases on the rise, many families are debating whether to gather for the holiday, or how to do it safely. No matter what you decide, NBCLX storyteller Clark Fouraker has some tips for talking to your family about your plans, without starting a fight.

A logistical challenge with the vaccine is keeping it cold.

"We are working very hard on that. There is a whole fleet of experienced and talented people at Pfizer who are working on this," Burkhardt said.

A major factor when the vaccine comes out is to decide who has the capacity to store it and who will be capable to store it at low temperatures, according to Trinity Health of New England president & CEO Dr. Reginald Eadie.

Priority will be given to health care workers, first responders and people at high risk in the state, Eadie said.

Eadie is a co-chair of the governor's COVID-19 vaccine advisory group.