PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Rhode Island Department of Health identified 590 new COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant over the past week, according to data released Wednesday.
The Health Department sequences a portion of the new cases each week to screen for the variant. Since that began over the summer, a total of 1,790 delta variant cases have been found.
Health officials reported 261 new cases overall on Wednesday and a 1.9% daily positivity rate, with more than 13,600 tests administered the previous day.
The state is still considered to have high transmission of the virus, with a rate of 170 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days.
One more Rhode Islander has died after contracting COVID-19, according to health officials.
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Currently, there are 98 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Rhode Island, the Health Department said. Of those patients, 11 are in the intensive care unit and seven are on ventilators.
Roughly 71% of the state’s population is now at least partially vaccinated against the disease, while more than 65% is considered fully vaccinated.
The data also shows the state will soon administer its 1.5 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.