The U.S. has reported more than 36.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases as of August 17, 2021. More than 610,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 — the highest death toll of any country.

The virus has spread throughout the country in a way that has been difficult to predict, surging in one region, then showing signs of improvement, and then reappearing in other regions. Though local outbreaks may ebb and flow, the current surge in cases has been felt nearly nationwide, leading to new travel restrictions and business closures around the country.

Nationwide, there were an average of 37.9 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 Americans in the week ending August 17, 2021. Cumulatively, the U.S. has reported 11,170.9 cases per 100,000 Americans, and 188.5 deaths per 100,000 Americans.

The extent of the spread of the novel coronavirus continues to vary considerably from state to state, and even from county to county. Even as the number of daily new cases is flattening or even declining in some parts of the country, new cases are surging at a growing rate in others.

The coronavirus has spread to different parts of the country in different stages throughout the pandemic. In the spring, the worst hit states were in the Northeast, as New York City became the epicenter of the nation’s crisis. The virus spread to states throughout the Sun Belt in the summer, and hit states in the Midwest and West during the fall. By November 2020, nearly every state was categorized as a COVID-19 hot spot, according to definitions based on new cases per capita from the nonprofit health organization Kaiser Family Foundation.

In Connecticut, there were an average of 15.1 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending August 17, 2021. The Connecticut case growth rate ranks as the 8th lowest of all 50 states.

While the nation’s largest counties were hit hardest in the early months of the pandemic, nearly every county has suffered from the coronavirus. Outbreaks can occur quickly in places where large numbers of people tend to congregate, leaving counties with colleges, correctional facilities, and nursing homes particularly at risk.

In Hartford County, there were an average of 17.5 new confirmed cases per day per 100,000 residents in the week ending August 17, 2021 — the highest rate of any county in Connecticut. Since the pandemic began, the county has reported 88,038 confirmed cases, or 9,839.6 cases per 100,000.

There have been 2,447 deaths, or 273.5 deaths per 100,000 residents.

To determine the county in each state with the highest rate of daily cases of the virus, 24/7 Wall St. compiled and reviewed data from state and local health departments. We ranked counties according to the average new number of cases per 100,000 residents per day during the week ending August 17, 2021. Population data used to adjust case and death totals came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates.

These are all the counties in Connecticut where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).

No.	County	Population	New daily cases per 100,000	Total cases	Total deaths	Cases per 100,000	Deaths per 100,000
1	Hartford County	894,730	17.5	88,038	2,447	9,839.6	273.5
2	New Haven County	859,339	16.6	95,700	2,146	11,136.5	249.7
3	New London County	268,881	15.6	23,561	452	8,762.6	168.1
4	Middlesex County	163,368	14.5	13,406	375	8,206.0	229.5
5	Fairfield County	944,348	13.3	103,462	2,204	10,955.9	233.4
6	Windham County	116,538	12.4	11,278	196	9,677.5	168.2
7	Litchfield County	183,031	11.6	15,149	298	8,276.7	162.8
8	Tolland County	151,269	9.3	10,026	188	6,627.9	124.3

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