State’s COVID positivity tops 28%, more than 13,000 new cases

The new case numbers were far above the two previous records of 11,200, one of which came earlier this week.

The positivity rate was up almost a full percentage point from Thursday’s 27.77% and even more from Wednesday’s 27.39%, Tuesday’s rate of 26.79%, Monday’s 26.33% rate, 24.45% last Friday and 23.67% last Wednesday

Of the new cases, 3,310 are in people 18 and under.

The state has listed 975,346 total cases since March 2020.

The 35 deaths raised the number of state residents lost to COVID-related causes to 12,518.

The number of patients in hospitals, in intensive care and on ventilators also continue to climb, almost exponentially. Friday’s report had a new record of 2,126 people hospitalized, up from Thursday’s record of 2,098 people in hospital, 2,011 Wednesday, 1,953 Tuesday, 1,873 Monday and 1,856 last Friday; 466 in ICU, up from 459 Thursday, 454 Wednesday, 449 Tuesday, 452 Monday and 423 last Friday; and 226 on ventilators, down from 237 Thursday, 243 Wednesday, 237 Tuesday, 238 Monday and 223 last Friday.

The biggest strain so far on hospitals remains in ICU capacity with all but one of the state’s 10 medical regions reporting ICU capacity filled above 85%. Region 10 is at 100% and two others are above 95%. Of ICU capacity, all 10 regions are using at least 20% of capacity for COVID cases and three of those now are above 40%.