With 56 more people dying from COVID-19 in Connecticut over the past week, the deaths of 9,002 state residents now are attributed to the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Gov. Ned Lamont's office reports updated COVID-19 death data each Thursday.

In addition, 710 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 on Thursday, a decrease of six from the previous. Fifty-three of those are in New London County. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has sharply risen across the state over the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, Ledge Light Health District, which serves nine shoreline communities in southeastern Connecticut, reported Thursday that new COVID-19 cases have spiked over the past two weeks to an average 540 a week, the highest level since January, when they peaked at 876.

There have been 1,071 cases in the past two weeks in the district's nine communities: East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Stonington and Waterford. The positivity rate ranged from 1.6% in New London to 13.7% in North Stonington, with most towns in the 6% to 8% range.

There have now been 314 COVID-19-related deaths in those nine communities.

On Thursday, Ledge Light said it "strongly advises everyone to continue to wear masks indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status."