Trends in short
- New COVID-19 cases continue to surge throughout the country, in part driven by travel and gatherings during the Thanksgiving holiday. On December 8 the United States reported 220,225 new cases.[1]
- Over the past two weeks the number of daily coronavirus-related deaths has increased by 39%. The US has now recorded more than 15.2 million total cases and more than 286,000 deaths due to COVID-19.[2]
- As in the rest of the country, new cases are continuing to surge in Connecticut. The state is currently seeing an average of 2,650 new cases per day, compared to 1,922 cases per day two weeks ago.[3]
- Connecticut is using a contact tracing phone application. Phones that are running the app can note which other phones they are close to and then alert users if they have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Currently, only about 20% of cellphones in Connecticut are using the app but wider use could lead to more reliable contact tracing efforts.[4]
- The number of daily COVID-19 cases are also rising in Rhode Island, which is seeing an average of 1,299 new cases per day this week compared to 950 per day two weeks ago. Rhode Island is currently considered the highest-risk state for contracting COVID.[5]
International case numbers
- 68,387,002 COVID-19 cases worldwide; 1,560,117 deaths; 44,100,866 recovered.[6]
- The United States continues to have the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 15,174,018 cases. India has the second highest number of cases with 9,735,850 cases, Brazil third with 6,674,999, and Russia fourth with 2,518,551.[7]
- Russia began to administer its COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week. Although the vaccine has been made available at no cost to a large group of the population– including medical workers, teachers, and Moscow’s social service employees under 61– many Russians report hesitancy towards getting the vaccine. The Russian vaccine was approved in August, the first in the world, and did not undergo the same amount of clinical testing as other COVID vaccines that are anticipated to come onto the market in other parts of the world in the near future.[8]
Distribution of new coronavirus cases and deaths worldwide each week (from The World Health Organization COVID-19 Weekly Situation Update, as of 12/8/2020).[9]
US National case numbers
- 15,174,018 cases of coronavirus confirmed by lab tests, 286,338 deaths, and 5,786,915 recovered cases. 207,572,528 total tests have been conducted.[10]
- The highest-risk states in the country are currently Rhode Island, Indiana, Utah, Alaska, and South Dakota. Rhode Island, which is seeing 1,299 new cases per day, has seen a 37% increase in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks.[11]
Risk in population
COVID-19 deaths reported to National Center for Health Statistics as of December 2, 2020[12]
| Age group | Total number of deaths | Percentage of reported deaths |
| 0-24 | 528 | 0.21% |
| 25-44 | 6,623 | 2.65% |
| 45-54 | 12,701 | 5.09% |
| 55-64 | 30,875 | 12.37% |
| 65-74 | 53,579 | 21.47% |
| 75+ | 145,264 | 58.21% |
Provisional Death Counts for COVID-19 by Demographic Characteristics as of December 2, 2020[13]
| Population Total | |
| Female | 45.87% |
| Male | 54.13% |
| White | 40.50% |
| Black | 15.10% |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 0.30% |
| Asian | 9.70% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.10% |
| Hispanic | 32.2% |
| Other | 2.00% |
Known cases in Connecticut (call 211 or text “CTCOVID” to 898211 for information)
- As of December 9, 2020 there are 140,548 confirmed and probable cases (+33,808 from November 22), 1,262 hospitalizations (+387 from November 22), and 5,285 deaths (+414 from November 22). 3,595,193 patients have been tested in the state with a 7.56% daily positivity rate.[14]
- All eight counties have seen at least a 27% increase in case counts in the past two weeks.
- Confirmed and probable cases[15]
- Fairfield County: 44,980 cases, 1,577 deaths
- Hartford County: 34,516 cases, 1,664 deaths
- Litchfield County: 5,569 cases, 182 deaths
- Middlesex County: 4,534 cases, 215 deaths
- New Haven County: 35,720 cases, 1,336 deaths
- New London County: 7,335 cases, 189 deaths
- Tolland County: 3,588 cases, 86 deaths
- Windham County: 3,290 cases, 36 deaths
- Pending address validation: 1,023 cases, 1 death
Cumulative Cases and Deaths in CT with Percent Increase from Previous Reporting Period by County
| County | Dec. 8 | Nov. 23 | Nov. 6 | Oct. 26 | Oct. 12 |
| Fairfield Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 44,980 (27.5) 1,577 (6.8) | 35,272 (27.6) 1,477 (1.9) | 27,652 (19.8) 1,450 (1.2) | 22,322 (7.6) 1,430 (0.3) | 20,752 (3.0) 1,426 (0.2) |
| Hartford Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 34,516 (30.6) 1,664 (6.0) | 26,424 (29.5) 1,570 (3.4) | 20,409 (15.5) 1,518 (3.3) | 17,062 (10.0) 1,464 (1.5) | 15,520 (5.8) 1,442 (1.0) |
| Litchfield Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 5,569 (44.5) 182 (13.8) | 3,853 (42.5) 160 (8.1) | 2,704 (22.4) 148 (3.5) | 2,116 (10.3) 143 (1.4) | 1,919 (2.5) 141 (0.0) |
| Middlesex Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 4,534 (35.0) 215 (7.5) | 3,358 (43.8) 200 (1.0) | 2,335 (19.3) 198 (0.5) | 1,873 (12.4) 196 (1.6) | 1,667 (5.3) 193 (0.0) |
| New Haven Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 35,720 (34.6) 1,336 (11.1) | 26,531 (32.3) 1,202 (5.1) | 20,053 (20.0) 1,144 (1.6) | 16,073 (8.0) 1,123 (0.4) | 14,877 (3.1) 1,118 (0.3) |
| New London Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 7,335 (31.2) 189 (16.0) | 5,592 (29.3) 163 (8.7) | 4,326 (17.1) 150 (7.1) | 3,456 (34.5) 136 (8.0) | 2,570 (31.1) 126 (9.6) |
| Tolland Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 3,588 (27.1) 86 (19.4) | 2,824 (41.8) 72 (5.9) | 1,991 (14.6) 68 (0.0) | 1,689 (12.5) 68 (1.5) | 1,502 (10.8) 67 (0.0) |
| Windham Cases (% increase) Deaths (% increase) | 3,290 (42.2) 36 (33.3) | 2,313 (37.3) 27 (28.6) | 1,685 (19.7) 21 (16.7) | 1,324 (19.5) 17 (0.0) | 1,108 (12.5) 17 (6.3) |
Connecticut Cumulative Statistics by Month for Age and Race/Ethnicity per 100,000
| COVID Cases (Deaths) by Age | Dec. 8 |
| 0 – 9 cases (deaths) | 6,110 (1) |
| 10 – 19 cases (deaths) | 13,523 (1) |
| 20 – 29 cases (deaths) | 24,576 (6) |
| 30 – 39 cases (deaths) | 22,082 (26) |
| 40 – 49 cases (deaths) | 20,011 (77) |
| 50 – 59 cases (deaths) | 21,833 (229) |
| 60 – 69 cases (deaths) | 15,479 (658) |
| 70 – 79 cases (deaths) | 8,896 (1,157) |
| 80+ cases (deaths) | 10,411 (3,172) |
| COVID Cases (Deaths) by Race/Ethnicity | |
| Hispanic cases (deaths) | 24,868 (494) |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native cases (deaths) | 227 (2) |
| Asian or Pacific Islander cases (deaths) | 1,577 (57) |
| Black cases (deaths) | 11,787 (739) |
| Multiracial cases (deaths) | 3,082 (47) |
| Other cases (deaths) | 5,167 (24) |
| White cases (deaths) | 43,767 (3,906) |
| Unknown cases (deaths) | 52,5004 (58) |
- The Yale New Haven Health System currently has 424 hospitalized patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis. The number of hospitalized patients in the system appears to have plateaued. Yale New Haven Health Hospital currently has 229 patients, 61 of whom are in the ICU and 36 of whom are on ventilators. Greenwich Hospital currently has 41 patients, Westerly Hospital has 14, Bridgeport Hospital has 126, and Lawrence and Memorial Hospital has 28.
- On November 6 Yale moved from “yellow” to “orange” COVID status after 20 undergraduate on-campus students tested positive. Students affiliated with three residential colleges have been asked to quarantine.[16]
Connecticut developments
- For the first time since mid-May, 8.7% of COVID tests were positive (i.e. patients were diagnosed with COVID-19) on December 7. Governor Lamont has attributed the increased COVID rate to people that gathered during the Thanksgiving holiday and in-person shopping driven by Black Friday.[17]
- Governor Lamont is facing increased pressure to intensify COVID-related restrictions as the number of Connecticut’s cases rise and neighboring states impose stricter measures. Current restrictions include limiting private gatherings to 10 people, requiring restaurants to close early, and discontinuing most sports.[18]
Known cases in Rhode Island (call 401-222-8022 for information)
- As of December 8, 2020[19]
- 67,067 confirmed cumulative cases (+16,494 from 11/23/20; a 32.6% increase in the two-week period)
- 1,663,288 total tests conducted (+195,206 from 11/23/20)
- 444 patients currently hospitalized (+159 from 11/23/20)
- 43 patients currently in ICU (+13 from 11/23/20)
- 1,470 deaths in the state (+161 from 11/23/20)
Rhode Island developments
- Rhode Island leads the country as the state with the current highest rate of COVID-19 cases. Additionally, coronavirus-related hospitalizations have reached an all time high in the state at 444 hospitalizations.[20] Officials worry that the COVID rate may only worsen due to winter holidays and Governor Raimondo has hinted that further efforts to “pause” the state beyond the two-week shutdown that began last week may be needed.[21]
- Due to the high rate of COVID-19 patients in hospitals, Rhode Island has started to move some patients to field hospitals. So far only a small number of patients have been moved to field hospitals, all of whom did not need intensive care but were still too sick to be discharged. Although the field hospitals have 900 beds for COVID patients, Governor Raimondo has warned that Rhode Island does not have enough health care professionals to staff field hospitals at that capacity.[22]
CovidTracker 