Connecticut's COVID-19 positivity rate came in at 2.96% on Wednesday, reflecting the upward trend state officials have warned they are watching.
There were 13,223 new tests reported Wednesday, of which 391 came back positive. There are 103 patients currently hospitalized with the virus, which is a net decrease of two from the day before.
The state is releasing information COVID-19 related deaths once per week, on Thursdays. The latest reported number of deaths was 8,286.
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Connecticut has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, but there are growing concerns about the delta variant, which is becoming more prominent and is the cause of 80% of new COVID-19 cases in the nation.
State officials are urging residents to get vaccinated to help curb the spread of the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended that even those fully vaccinated return to wearing masks indoors in areas with significant infection spreads. Right now, according to the CDC's transmission tracker, Hartford and New London counties are considered to have "substantial" spread, meeting the threshold for indoor mask-wearing.
The CDC tracker ranks regions in four groups - low, moderate, substantial, and high. The remaining counties in Connecticut are currently listed in the moderate category.
The CDC guidance is not a mandate and it is left to state and local officials to determine mask policies for their regions. Earlier in the day, Gov. Ned Lamont said the state is not planning on putting any other restrictions in place. Decisions about schools will be made in a few weeks, he added.
