Massachusetts - Coronavirus COVID-19

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COVID cases in Mass. continue to drop; 138,315 vaccine booster doses administered


New cases of COVID-19 continued to trend downward Monday as the state announced 3,283 new cases since Friday — the state doesn’t release reports on the weekend.

That’s the lowest Monday report of new cases since Aug. 16 and averages to 1,094 per day for Saturday, Sunday and Monday

COVID hospitalizations also dropped to below 600 for the first time since Sept. 8 and were at 581 on Sunday — 33 fewer than Friday. COVID hospitalizations can include people being treated for other conditions who tested positive for the virus.

COVID cases amongst the vaccinated in the hospital — known as breakthrough cases — were at 178 or 31% of COVID-positive patients.

The percentage of weekly breakthrough cases among all positive tests has ranged anywhere from 33% to 41%, a MassLive analysis of the numbers shows.

Deaths, which have been trending back upwards were lower Monday, with the state reporting 12 new deaths since Friday.

Another key metric — the seven-day average percent positivity of new tests — also dropped Monday and is at 1.69%. It hit a low of 0.31% at the end of June.

New cases of COVID hit a pandemic low at the end of June

A rise in COVID cases has run in about two-month cycles since the pandemic began. Last year, the largest spike in new cases began just after Thanksgiving and peaked just aver New Year’s.

The state has reported a total of 138,315 vaccine booster doses administered since the Food and Drug Administration authorized a third shot to those 65 and older and others who are at high risk for the disease. Massachusetts saw an uptick in new vaccinations over the weekend as well with 15,241 new doses reported on Saturday and 16,658 doses reported on Sunday. That’s the most new for either day since early August.

 

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Breakthrough COVID cases in Mass. decrease along with overall drop in numbers

 

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COVID booster shots in Massachusetts increase by another 15,054 as new cases dropped 14% over previous week

Massachusetts reported 1,532 more cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 22 more confirmed COVID deaths.

Despite COVID numbers decreasing the past few weeks, they remain elevated and data shows cases are still increasing in some cities and towns.

The state did see an uptick in new vaccinations as well as COVID booster shots on Thursday. The Department of Public Health reported 12,069 new doses of vaccine administered in addition to 15,054 more Pfizer booster shots.

COVID hospitalizations continue to hover in the upper 500s and were reported at 571 on Thursday. Although those can include people hospitalized with other conditions who tested positive, of the 571 patients, 150 were in intensive care and 92 were intubated.

Of those, 187 — or 33% — were patients who had been fully vaccinated. The remaining 67% were individuals who were either unvaccinated or who had not completed a two-dose vaccination. The percentage of breakthrough cases of the virus among new cases has fluctuated weekly between 34% and 41% over the past two months.

Overall, cases have begun to decrease after a two-month rise. Data from the state on COVID tests by date the test was taken shows new cases dropped about 14% last week over the previous week to 9,203 new cases, although some additional cases could still be reported.

The seven-day average percent positivity of new tests was 1.84%, up only slightly from 1.83% Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the state updated the average ages of both cases and deaths with the average age of someone testing positive over the past two weeks being 34. The average age of deaths is 72. That’s down from the average age of deaths of 86 at the beginning of August 2020.

 

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Percentage of breakthrough COVID in cases in Mass. grows as more people are vaccinated, given booster shots

Massachusetts averaged 1,117 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, the last time the state released data on the virus.

In Tuesday’s update, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 4,466 total new cases over the four-day holiday weekend. Overall, cases of COVID have been decreasing since the beginning of September.

The state also reported 36 new deaths, which averages out to 9 a day since Friday. The state had been seeing double-digit daily deaths in the past month. A rise in COVID deaths typically follows rises in cases and hospitalizations by a few weeks and in the past have begun to decline weeks after those numbers begin to drop.

The percentage of breakthrough COVID cases increased last week, even as overall numbers continued to decline. A gradual increase in the percentage of breakthrough cases has corresponded with an increase in vaccinations, with more than 66% of the state’s full population now fully vaccinated.

The state reported 4,034 breakthrough cases in a seven-day period ending Oct. 9. During the same reporting period, the state reported 9,074 new cases. The breakthrough cases amount to about 44% of the total. The majority of new cases — 56% — are among unvaccinated individuals or those who have not completed a two-dose vaccination.

In total, there have been 44,498 vaccinated individuals who have tested positive in Massachusetts since vaccinations began. That’s 0.95% of vaccinated people in the state as of Oct. 9.

A total of 395 vaccinated individuals have died of COVID, or 0.007% of the total number of vaccinated people.

A total of 200,965 booster shots have been administered in the state as of Tuesday.

COVID hospitalizations continue to show little movement, fluctuating between the mid to upper 500s. In Tuesday’s report, hospitalizations were at 541. Those numbers can include those hospitalized for other conditions who tested positive for the virus. Of those numbers, 144 were people in intensive care and 92 were intubated.

Of the 541 COVID-positive patients, 192 (about 35%) were vaccinated. The remaining 65% were either unvaccinated or had not completed a two-dose vaccination.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday activated up to 200 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to help with COVID-19 testing in the state’s K-12 public schools, officials said.

Additionally, Baker on Tuesday activated up to 250 Guard members to offset potential staffing shortages at the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

 

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Massachusetts reports 1,560 new COVID cases, 14 deaths on Thursday


Massachusetts reported 1,560 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 14 new deaths.

COVID hospitalizations continued to see little movement, with the state reporting 567 COVID-positive patients on Thursday. That’s up 11 patients more than Wednesday, but the number has fluctuated in the mid to upper 500s for the past few weeks.

COVID hospitalization numbers can include patients who are being treated for other illnesses but tested positive for the virus. Of those , 142 were in intensive care and 82 were intubated. There were 207 COVID-positive patients who were fully vaccinated — or about 37%. That’s a slight increase in the share of vaccinated patients from what the state has seen over the past few months, but still a minority of hospitalizations. The remaining 63% of COVID hospitalizations are among those who are either unvaccinated or have not completed a two-dose vaccination.

Both breakthrough cases of COVID and breakthrough hospitalizations have crept up as the state’s population increasingly consists of vaccinated individuals, although the minority population of unvaccinated people continues to comprise most of the new COVID cases and hospitalizations.

New vaccinations have been fairly stable and fluctuate between 5,000 and 10,000 a day for the past few months.

There have now been 226,667 boosters administered in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts education officials have reported that 1,901 students and 337 school staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 between Oct. 7 and Oct. 13.

With about 920,000 students enrolled and about 140,000 staff membersworking in public school buildings, the rate of coronavirus cases stands at 0.21% among students and 0.24% among staffers, according to a report from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

 

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COVID cases in Massachusetts nearly leveled out last week after falling for three straight weeks


Massachusetts reported 1,512 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 12 more deaths.

Meanwhile, COVID-positive hospitalizations, which have fluctuated in the mid to upper 500s for the past few weeks, dipped down slightly to 541 patients. Of those, 140 were in intensive care and 80 were intubated.

About 37% of COVID-positive patients in the hospitals were fully vaccinated while the remaining 63% were either unvaccinated or had not completed a two-dose vaccination.

While new cases of COVID had been falling for three weeks, last week saw new cases nearly level to the previous week with about 9,270 cases for the week beginning on Oct. 3. That’s only 51 cases fewer than the previous week and additional tests from last week not yet reported could narrow that gap further.

Cases in the most recent mini-surge peaked the week of Sept. 5 before beginning to drop week-over-week. There is continued concern and speculation about the spread of the virus as the weather cools, people are indoors more and as the holidays approach.

Last year, before vaccinations were widespread, the state started a surge at the end of October that took off after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

The rate of infection among children has increased since school started. The age demographic with the highest rate of infection for the past two weeks is now 10- to 14-year-olds, who represent about 14.4% of the case rate. The age group with the next highest case rate is 5- to 9-year-olds at 13.8% of the case rate. However, when it comes to sheer numbers, the 30 to 39-year-olds now have the highest numbers of infections at 3,107 cases over the past two weeks. That bumps the 20- to 29-year-old group that had been leading down to the group with the second most infections with 3,065 over the past two weeks.

The case rate among Hispanics remains 36.75% of cases, or about three times higher than among non-Hispanic whites, although when it comes to total numbers whites still constitute most of the cases.

Gov. Charlie Baker’s mandate that all state workers be fully vaccinated goes into effect on Sunday. Several hundred Massachusetts human services workers and educators are not yet vaccinated against COVID. That number is expected to improve.

The Massachusetts State Police said Friday the agency has plans in place to deploy personnel to ensure continued police services. The agency would not say how many troopers have not yet complied with the vaccine mandate.




As COVID cases drop across Massachusetts, 134 mostly smaller communities still see rise

 

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Massachusetts averaged 938 new COVID cases a day since Friday as hospitalizations show little improvement

Massachusetts averaged 938 new cases of COVID-19 a day and averaged three new COVID-related deaths since Friday.

The state’s Department of Public Health reported a total of 2,815 new cases of the virus and 10 more deaths since Friday’s report, which isn’t released on the weekends.

The new total new cases reported were the smallest Saturday through Monday total since Aug. 9. Cases have been decreasing week-over-week since the beginning of September but some individual communities continued to see new cases rise. One-hundred thirty-four Massachusetts communities saw cases rise last week.

Deaths from COVID, which began to rise again last month following mostly single-digit daily numbers during the summer, seem to have stabilized in the low teens.

The one metric that has seen little improvement is COVID hospitalizations, which were at 569 on Monday. Although they’ve dropped from the high of 706 during the current mini-surge, they’ve continued to bounce between 500 and 600 for the past few weeks. By comparison, however, COVID hospitalizations hit a high of more than 2,000 in January and nearly 4,000 during the first surge in 2020.

Although COVID hospitalizations can include those who are being treated for other issues but tested positive for the virus, Monday’s updated data showed that 138 of the COVID-positive patients were in intensive care and 75 were intubated.

Of the COVID hospitalizations, 205 (or 36%) were patients who were fully vaccinated. The remaining 64% were patients who were either unvaccinated or who had not completed a two-dose vaccination.

The seven-day average positivity of new tests dropped to 1.67% on Monday.

Sunday was the deadline for Massachusetts state workers to be vaccinated or show proof of exemption. As of Monday, the governor’s office said there were about 1,600 employees who had yet to do either and were facing discipline or the possibility of termination. According to the governor’s office, 40,462 active employees verified their vaccination or applied for a medical or religious exemption.

 

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COVID deaths in Massachusetts on decline again as state reports 1,355 new cases on Wednesday

Massachusetts reported 1,355 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 11 more deaths.

Reports of new cases have been slowly trending downward for the past month. COVID hospitalizations, on the other hand, have yet to budge.

The state reported 559 COVID hospitalizations Wednesday, down from Tuesday, but the number has bounced back and forth between around 550 and 600 for the past month.

That number can include patients who are being treated for other illnesses who tested positive for the virus. However, of that total, 144 patients were in intensive care and 73 were intubated.

By comparison, COVID hospitalizations were at nearly 4,000 at the start of the pandemic and were at more than 2,000 during the post-holiday spike at the beginning of the year.

Massachusetts appears to be on the “other end” of the delta variant surge, Dr. Brian Patel said Wednesday during a virtual panel discussion on vaccine safety and hesitancy hosted by state Sen. Becca Rausch, a Democrat from Needham. But the sharp rise in hospitalizations, Patel lamented, forced facilities to expand their licensed bed capacity and delay elective procedures — while sick patients faced longer wait times in emergency departments.

Of today’s reported hospitalizations, 196 were among patients who were fully vaccinated — about 35% of COVID hospitalizations. The remaining 65% are among those who are either unvaccinated or who have not completed a two-dose vaccination.

The percentage of breakthrough cases in the general public is slightly higher and was at about 38% for last week.

Massachusetts saw an uptick in COVID booster shots administered Wednesday with 11,990 more boosters reported. The state has now administered 283,597 booster shots.

COVID deaths, which rose at the end of the summer, have started to drop again. The state averaged 7.1 COVID deaths per day in the past seven days. By comparison, the state was averaging 14 deaths per day by the end of September.

 

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Massachusetts health officials report 1,343 new COVID cases, 15 more deaths
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State health officials on Friday reported that 1,343 Massachusetts residents have newly tested positive for COVID-19 and 15 more people have died from the virus.

There are currently 519 people in the hospital with the virus, with 144 in intensive care and 82 who are intubated. Of those hospitalized, 180 were reported to be fully vaccinated against COVID

Comparatively, the state on Thursday reported 1,267 more cases of the virusand 20 more confirmed COVID deaths, as well as 532 people in the hospital with the coronavirus. Hospitalizations have been hovering in the 500s recently.

The seven-day average of positive COVID cases is 1.78%, a figure that has been dropping since the resurgence of cases over the summer.

So far in Massachusetts, 306,177 booster doses have gone out, according to DPH.

The Baker administration on Friday announced that residents can now access Moderna or Johnson & Johnson boosters following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, more than 750,000 Massachusetts residents are newly eligible for booster shots under federal eligibility criteria and two more state-sponsored COVID-19 booster locations are scheduled to open

On Friday, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said the vaccine for children 5 to 11 is safe and highly effective, according to documents posted by the Food and Drug Administration.

So far this school year, the percentage of COVID cases among students and teachers has been low. From Oct. 14 to 20, a total of 1,804 students and 350 school staff members tested positive for the virus, rates of 0.20% among students and 0.25% among staffers.

 

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Massachusetts health officials report 1,274 new COVID cases, 14 more deaths on Wednesday

An additional 1,274 Massachusetts residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 14 more people have died from the virus, state health officials said Wednesday.

Currently, 528 people are hospitalized with the virus, including 134 who are in intensive care and 76 who are intubated. Of those 528 patients, 199 are reported to be fully vaccinated against COVID, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. The average number of COVID patients in the hospital has been hovering in the 500s.

As of Wednesday, the seven-day average percent positivity is 1.67%, still higher than a low of 0.31% reached in June but a metric that has been inching downward in recent weeks

Wednesday’s new case counts are a bit higher compared to Tuesday, when health officials reported 1,115 new cases, 23 more confirmed COVID deaths and 546 in the hospital.

The seven-day average number of new COVID cases stands at 879.3, a trend that has been decreasing recently. That figure reached its lowest point in June with an average of 64 cases, DPH data shows.

In Springfield on Wednesday morning, Mayor Domenic Sarno and Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen R. Caulton-Harris announced that the city’s mask mandate will end Mondayfollowing a steady decline in new coronavirus infections among residents and a gradual increase in vaccinations.

Mask mandates still continue in other parts of the state. Last week, Worcester officials said the city will examine a combination of factorsbefore deciding to end the current indoor mask mandate but did offer specific benchmarks. And state education officials announced this week that kids in public schools will be required to wear masks until at least Jan.

Young people across the U.S. will likely be able to get the COVID vaccine soon. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel of advisers endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Tuesday. The state is expecting an initial shipment of 360,000 doses of pediatric vaccine by the first week of November.

 

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Massachusetts sees rise in COVID vaccinations as state reports 1,245 new cases

Massachusetts reported 1,245 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 12 more confirmed COVID deaths.

Cases continued to trend downward — albeit slowly — even as 114 communities saw their COVID rates increase last week. Overall, new cases dropped by about 9% last week over the previous week.

Hospitalizations, which have fluctuated in the 500s for more than a month now, were reported at 530 patients on Friday. COVID hospitalizations can include those who are being treated for other conditions who tested positive for the virus. Of those hospitalizations, 140 were in intensive care and 74 were intubated.

With more than 4.7 million Bay Staters now fully vaccinated, they comprise about 67% of the state’s full 2021 population, with about 33% of the state still not fully vaccinated.

In the U.S., children 5 to 11 make up about 39% of COVID cases in individuals younger than 18, the FDA said.

Overall, about 8,300 coronavirus cases in children 5 through 11 resulted in hospitalization, and as of Oct. 17, there have been 691 deaths from COVID in the U.S. in people younger than 18, with 146 deaths in the 5 through 11 age group.

In addition, according to data from the state, the 5- to 9-year-old age group is testing positive at the highest rate compared to any other age group in the state. They are testing at a rate of 437.7 per 100,000 people of that age. Those 30 to 39 are testing positive at the highest overall numbers, however.

The seven-day average percent positivity of new tests is now 1.73%.

The state continues to see vaccinations at a steady rate and saw an uptick in vaccinations in the past few days.

The state reported 21,666 new vaccinations on Wednesday, the highest single-day report since the start of vaccinations and a week after a deadline for state workers to be vaccinated or face losing their jobs. On Friday, the state reported 18,551 more doses administered.

 

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Massachusetts averaged 1,081 new COVID cases a day over the weekend

Massachusetts averaged 1,081 new cases of COVID-19 a day since Friday. In addition, the state reported seven more confirmed COVID deaths since Friday.


Booster shots have been on the rise. The state has administered a total of 480,176 vaccine booster shots so far. The state has averaged more than 18,000 booster shots a day since Friday.

The state also averaged 8,306 more vaccine doses a day since Friday.

COVID hospitalizations continue to remain steady, fluctuating between 500 and 600 patients. On Monday, the state reported 531 COVID-positive hospitalizations. COVID hospitalizations can include those who are hospitalized for other conditions but who test positive. Of the total, 137 were in intensive care and 75 were intubated.

Of the 531 hospitalizations, 189 were among people who were fully vaccinated.

The seven-day average percent positivity of new tests is now 1.60%.

 

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COVID cases in Massachusetts decreased about 4% last week from the previous week

Massachusetts reported 1,598 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday as well as 18 more confirmed COVID deaths. Although cases have continued to decrease overall, that decrease has slowed to a crawl.

Data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on COVID test results by date show that COVID cases last week dropped only about 300 cases from the week before to 7,895 cases — about a 4% decrease from the previous week.

The most recent mini-surge never reached the high case counts, hospitalizations or deaths of previous surges, but has stretched on longer and is decreasing at a much slower rate than previous spikes.

COVID hospitalizations, which have been steady for about two months have been lower for the past few days but have remained in the 500s. On Friday, the state reported they had dipped to 502. COVID hospitalizations can include people hospitalized for other conditions who tested positive for the virus. However, of that total, 145 were in intensive care and 82 were intubated.

About 33% of those COVID-positive patients are fully vaccinated, data from the state shows. The remaining 67% are either unvaccinated individuals or people who have not completed a two-dose vaccine.

The average age of a person testing positive for COVID is now 36, while the average age of COVID deaths is 74 — up from 72 at the end of last month.

The highest case rates remain among 5- to 9-year-olds who are testing at 410.6 cases per 100,000 people in that age group.

Children 5 to 11 can get the COVID vaccine this month.

New vaccinations have continued at a fairly steady pace with the state reporting 19,902 more doses administered Thursday and 5,690 administered Friday. In all, about 4.7 million Bay Staters are now fully vaccinated with more than 5 million who have at least one dose of vaccine.

Still, there remain many communities within Massachusetts with vaccination rates less than 50%. Twenty communities with a population greater than 20,000 people continue to lag behind.

 

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OTR: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker discusses pandemic-related topics

 

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Massachusetts averaged 1,346 new COVID cases over weekend

Massachusetts averaged about 1,346 new COVID-19 cases over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The state also saw six new deaths linked to the virus.

The weekend average of 1,346 represents an increase of 265 cases over the weekend average of 1,081 reported by the state last Monday.

As of Monday, 18,695 Massachusetts residents have died since the pandemic hit the U.S.

Nearly 4.8 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated against the virus

More than 37,000 residents have received booster shots over the last three days and more than 630,000 people have received boosters since they became available statewide


The seven-day average rate of positive tests stands at 1.86%.

There are currently 516 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Massachusetts hospitals Seventy-two patients are intubated and 138 are in intensive care units

With the COVID-19 vaccines significantly curtailing the virus, a majority of those in the hospital or dying from the virus are still unvaccinated. Last week, DPH reported that COVID-19 “breakthrough” cases among fully vaccinated people rose slightly, with 3,192 cases during the week ending Oct. 30, a 3% increase over the prior week.

People in the 30 to 39 age group make up the largest group among confirmed cases over the last two weeks. The second-largest group is 20 to 29-year-olds.

This weekend, the vaccine rollout for children aged 5 to 11 made headlines when Big Bird, the affable Sesame Street Muppet, advocated for science and the COVID-19 vaccine. Sen. Ted Cruz and conservative commentators hammered Big Bird and his furry friends — calling them “propagandists,” “evil,” and even “communists” — sparking a backlash among doctors, prominent voices in politics, media and entertainment, and everyday Sesame Street fans.

 

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Mass. sees rise in new breakthrough COVID cases over last week

Massachusetts public health officials reported 4,608 new breakthrough COVID-19 cases of vaccinated residents over the week ending Nov. 6, an increase of about 1,400 cases compared to the week prior.

The state reported 1,397 new cases on Tuesday and 24 new deaths linked to the virus, which has infected more than 808,000 Massachusetts residents and killed 18,719

Nearly 4.8 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the state’s daily vaccination report. At least 16,550 new vaccination doses were reported on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, more than 640,000 people have received boosters
The seven-day average rate of positive tests has now risen to 2.05%, an increase from from Monday’s 1.86%.

There are currently 515 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Massachusetts hospitals, down one from Monday’s 516 and a figure that remains in line with recent averages. Eighty-one patients are intubated and 143 are in intensive care units

With the COVID-19 vaccines significantly curtailing the virus, a majority of those in the hospital or dying from the virus are still unvaccinated.

Last week, DPH reported that COVID-19 “breakthrough” cases among fully vaccinated people rose slightly, with 3,192 cases during the week ending Oct. 30, a 3% increase over the prior week.

DPH says there were 1,940 hospitalizations among breakthrough cases for the week ending Nov. 6, compared to 1,793 for the prior week. There were also 468 deaths among breakthrough cases, an increase of 30 over the week ending Oct. 30.

 

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Mass. reports continued rise in new COVID cases, test positivity rate and booster shots

Massachusetts officials have reported a daily average of nearly 19,200 COVID-19 vaccine boosters administered over the last seven days — just as new cases and the rate of positive tests have continued to climb.

On Wednesday, the state confirmed 1,745 new positive tests. The state on Tuesday reported 1,397 new cases and 24 new deaths linked to the virus; on Wednesday, the death toll was 20.

The state this week reported 4,608 new breakthrough COVID-19 cases of fully vaccinated residents over the week ending Nov. 6, an increase of about 1,400 cases compared to the week prior.

At least 78,000 new vaccination doses — including more than 30,000 booster shots — were reported on Wednesday.

The seven-day average rate of positive tests has now risen to 2.15%, yet another increase from Tuesday’s 2.05% and Monday’s 1.86%.

There are currently 527 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Massachusetts hospitals, up from Tuesday’s 515 but still in line with recent averages. Seventy-four patients are intubated and 141 are in intensive care units, DPH said.

People in the 30 to 39 age group make up the largest group (2,813 cases) among confirmed cases over the last two weeks. The second-largest group — representing just 46 fewer cases — is 20 to 29-year-olds.

With the COVID-19 vaccines significantly curtailing the virus, a majority of those in the hospital or dying from the virus are still unvaccinated.

DPH said this week that there were 1,940 hospitalizations among breakthrough cases for the week ending Nov. 6, compared to 1,793 for the prior week. There were also 468 deaths among breakthrough cases, an increase of 30 over the week ending Oct. 30.

 

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COVID cases climb even as vaccinations, boosters increase


New COVID-19 infections rose about 24% last week over the previous week, marking a big jump up following seven weeks of a slow decline.

So far, the state has reported 9,811 new positive tests by test date from the week beginning Oct. 31.

The majority of new cases had remained among the unvaccinated, although new breakthrough cases reported last week marked the first time since vaccinations that the number totaled more than half of the number of new infections reported during the week.

On Friday, after not issuing a report on Veterans Day, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 3,708 more cases of the virus, or an average of about 1,854 per day for Thursday and Friday.

A total of 19 more confirmed COVID deaths were also reported.

COVID hospitalizations continued to follow a nearly unchanging line Friday with 522 patients reported positive with the virus.

Although the number and percentage of COVID cases among vaccinated individuals (known as breakthrough cases) has been increasing, breakthrough cases among hospitalizations have remained fairly steady and low with about 38% of COVID hospitalizations among those who are fully vaccinated.

 

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Breakthrough COVID cases in Mass. rose again last week as overall new cases continue climb

Massachusetts public health officials reported 5,313 new breakthrough COVID-19 cases over the week ending Nov. 13, about 700 cases more than the 4,608 new cases among fully vaccinated residents reported in the previous week.

According to the state Department of Public Health, there are 64,120 total breakthrough cases in Massachusetts — a figure that still only represents about 1.3% of fully vaccinated residents. Last week’s breakthrough cases amounted to 49% of the new COVID-19 cases reported; that figure is down from 52% during the week prior.

Fewer than 0.05% of the state’s fully vaccinated individuals — 2,080 people — were treated in the hospital over the last week, and only 0.01% of fully vaccinated people have died, according to DPH.

The latest breakthrough case data comes as new cases steadily rise in many parts of the state. Officials reported 1,848 new cases on Tuesday and 24 new deaths linked to the virus, which has infected more than 821,000 Massachusetts residents and killed 18,806

The latest case totals are based on 53,779 new molecular tests; 32.4 million have been conducted since the start of the pandemic. The seven-day average rate of positive tests — which climbed throughout last week – now stands at 2.61%, up from Monday’s 2.32%.

There are currently 599 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Massachusetts hospitals; that figure includes those being treated for other reasons who’ve tested positive. Sixty-three patients are intubated and 124 are in intensive care units, DPH said. A majority of those in the hospital or dying from the virus are still unvaccinated.

 

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Mass. COVID cases see highest single-day report since height of pandemic

Newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and the test positivity rate continue to climb across Massachusetts, with public health officials on Wednesday reporting 2,650 new cases and 20 new deaths linked to the virus.

The 2,650 new cases is the highest single-day report of new cases the state has seen since February when the pandemic was at the height of new cases.

The group contracting the virus the most over the last two weeks is 20- to 29-year-olds, accounting for 3,529 new cases, followed closely by 30- to 39-year-olds with 3,415 new cases, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Ages 5-9 continue to contract the virus at the highest rate at about 529 cases per 100,000 people in that age group.



Officials on Tuesday reported 1,848 new cases and 24 deaths, along with a rise in breakthrough cases of fully vaccinated people.

The seven-day average rate of positive tests — which climbed throughout last week – now stands at 2.84%, up from Tuesday’s 2.61% and Monday’s 2.32%. The city of Boston on Wednesday morning said its community positivity rate is now at 3%.

There are currently 642 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Massachusetts hospitals, a figure that’s also steadily risen after several weeks in a row with closer to 500 patients. The total includes those being treated for reasons other than COVID-19, but who’ve tested positive. Sixty-three patients are intubated and 124 are in intensive care units, DPH said. A majority of those in the hospital or dying from the virus are still unvaccinated.

There are 64,120 total breakthrough cases in Massachusetts — a figure that still only represents about 1.3% of fully vaccinated residents. Last week’s breakthrough cases amounted to 49% of the new COVID-19 cases reported; that figure is down from 52% during the week prior.

Fewer than 0.05% of the state’s fully vaccinated individuals — 2,080 people — were treated in the hospital over the last week, and only 0.01% of fully vaccinated people have died, according to DPH.