Connecticut Gov. Lamont concerned about spike in hospitalizations

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COVID-19 hospitalizations by county through Nov. 9, 2020. (Via CT.gov)

Connecticut saw a spike in coronavirus-related hospitalization over the weekend, filling about half of the state's available COVID-19 beds in intensive care units, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

The governor reported that 496 patients were hospitalized with the virus on Monday, an increase of 94 from Friday and the state's highest figure since the end of May. The figure is double the number who were hospitalized with the virus just two weeks ago.

"We're watching this carefully," Lamont said. "We still have a lot of capacity in our regular hospital beds. We have only 50% use in our ICU, intensive care. We have the ability to expand that pretty quickly as need be."

Connecticut's pandemic-related death toll rose by 27 over the weekend to 4,698 and there were 3,338 new confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 reported in the state, according to the governor's office. 

The 7-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Connecticut has risen over the past two weeks from 2.18% on Oct. 25 to 4.74% on Nov. 8.

State health departments are calculating positivity rates differently across the country, but for Connecticut the AP calculates the rate by dividing new cases by test specimens using data from The COVID Tracking Project.

In other coronavirus-related news:

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FIREFIGHTER OUTBREAK

New London officials are monitoring a coronavirus outbreak in the city's fire department, where 10 firefighters have tested positive and four others are awaiting test results, Mayor Michael Passero said.

The outbreak started with one firefighter who was exposed to the virus and tested positive about a week ago, Passero told The Day newspaper on Sunday. All fire department workers who have since tested positive worked with the first one or two firefighters who became infected, Fire Chief Thomas Curcio said.

All 14 department employees who tested positive or are awaiting results are quarantining, and some are expected to return to work next week, Passero said.

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OUTDOOR DINING

The state has agreed to a set of guidelines for how restaurants can use temporary outdoor heated structures, like tents, as they try to maintain customers during the pandemic, according to the Connecticut Restaurant Association.

The association said the enclosed outdoor structures at restaurants, such as igloos and tents, must include adequate ventilation with fresh air being brought in and inside air being exhausted.

The buildings also must have one door and two or more vents open at all times, and there must be sanitization of all touchpoints and a 15-minute waiting period between groups of diners.

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TOWN AID

Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that the state will be sending more than $11 million in grants to more than 90 small towns for infrastructure projects aimed at boosting their economies and helping them respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

It's the first time in four years that the state has awarded money through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program.

The new funding includes a COVID-19 provision to help towns pay for pandemic-related projects including improvements to the heating and cooling systems of buildings, breathing units for firefighters and a pavilion to hold outdoor municipal meetings.

Most of the 94 small towns receiving the grants will be getting about $128,000 apiece.