Worker shortages, supply chain issues and businesses closing - these are just some of the problems we are currently facing, and at the root of it is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.
So where do we stand in the pandemic now?
The numbers released by the state Tuesday gave a bit of a reality check.
There are 25 more people hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to Monday, and there are 232 people being treated for the virus.
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The daily positivity rate increased from 2.57% on Monday to 3.23%.
"The infection rate is the probably the highest it's been in about six weeks. You know well over 2%, it's been now for since in the last week now. Hospitalizations creeping up," Gov. Ned Lamont said. "So we just watch it that's all be careful."
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Is it the start of a trend? Hopefully not. Should we be concerned?
NBC Connecticut's Dan Corcoran sat down with Dr. David Banach, epidemiologist and infectious disease doctor at UConn Health, to talk about those questions.
"There's going to be day-to-day fluctuations. So I think we really need to understand whether this is going to be an ongoing trend with a higher positivity rate, and an increase in hospitalizations. You know, I think, you know, there has been some concern that moving into the winter months more gathering inside, that we may see an uptick and in COVID cases, you know, here in Connecticut, I think it's definitely something we need to keep a close eye on in the weeks ahead," Banach said.
Banach said the biggest difference between this time last year and now is the vaccine. More people, including younger kids, are now getting the shot. And while we're seeing additional cases, we're now in a different place.
"It doesn't necessarily mean that because we see cases increased will necessarily see that level of illness in terms of hospitalizations, and even mortalities increase, you know. I expect that, that that rate of rise won't be as proportional, as we had seen before vaccination, because the vaccines do provide that protection against severe illness. You know, fortunately, vaccines also do reduce transmission. So I'm hopeful that, you know, as the rate increases, we won't see as steep and incline as we had during last winter surge."
In the meantime, Banach said you should get vaccinated if you haven't already, and get a booster if you are eligible. He also recommends getting a flu shot.
