Conn. positivity rate increases to 2.9 percent

Here are the most important things to know about the coronavirus in Connecticut:

On Friday, Connecticut announced 679 new cases, eight more deaths and one new hospitalization. The positivity rate (the percentage of total tests that are positive) has increased to 2.9 percent from 2.2 percent Thursday. In the last seven days, the positivity rate has fluctuated, but shown a general uptick when on six of those seven days the positivity rate is above 2 percent.

WHO: No normalcy for at least a year

The World Health Organization’s chief science officer this week said the world won’t go back to some measure of normalcy for at least a year, even if a vaccine is approved and administered. “We’re looking at 2022, at least, before enough people start getting the vaccine to build immunity,” Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said during a media briefing. “So, for a long time to come, we have to maintain the same kind of measures that are currently being put in place with physical distancing, the masking and respiratory hygiene.”

Oxford vaccine creates ‘strong response’ to COVID-19

The coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University creates a “strong immunity” response, according to researchers at the University of Bristol, as British news source Metro reported. Vaccines usually inject tiny bits of a pathogen — in this case, the vaccine instructs the body to create the relevant protein itself, and it appears to work. “This is an important study as we are able to confirm that the genetic instructions underpinning this vaccine, which is being developed as fast as...

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