The Department of Health reported 18 Covid-19 patients in Vermont hospitals on Wednesday, the first time that figure has dipped below 20 since August.
The number of Covid patients at any given time has been dropping since January, when the state reported a two-week streak of over 100 patients.
Wednesday’s hospitalizations are down from 22 on Tuesday, according to the health department.
The 18 people hospitalized include four intensive care patients, the same as on Tuesday. But intensive care usage has also fallen from a high of more than 20 patients each day from mid-January to mid-February.
The Department of Financial Regulation reported Tuesday that the rate of people being newly admitted for Covid has also fallen in recent weeks, from a high of about 20 Covid admissions per day to about six per day.
Covid cases also continue to decline overall. The health department reported 195 new infections on Wednesday, compared to only 50 on Tuesday. But the seven-day average was 131 cases per day, down from 141 cases per day on Tuesday.
Vermont’s seven-day average test positivity rate was 4.1% on Wednesday, a drop from about 4.5% last week. (The test positivity rate includes only PCR tests, not at-home antigen tests.)
The state reported no additional Covid deaths on Wednesday, keeping March’s death toll at four people. In total, 608 people have died from Covid in Vermont since the beginning of the pandemic, including 59 people last month.
