Massachusetts - Coronavirus COVID-19

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One month after hitting pandemic lows, new COVID cases continue to rise as delta variant spreads



A steady rise in COVID-19 is continuing this week as the state reported 208 new cases Wednesday.

Updated data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows that new cases last week rose 46% over the previous week. The updated percentage includes cases from last week that were reported Wednesday. It’s the second week in a row that cases rose after more than two months of decline that hit a pandemic low the week of June 20.

Deaths continue to remain low, however, with one new COVID death being reported on Wednesday. A total of 17,648 Massachusetts residents have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations ticked back up to 102 after hitting a low of 80 on July 4. They have slowly been trending back up since then. Of the hospitalizations, 37 are in intensive care and 17 are intubated.

The seven-day average of positive tests has also been slowly rising and is at .72%. It hit a pandemic low of .31% on June 25. The rise in COVID has been linked in part to the delta variant of the virus, a more highly contagious variant.

Vaccinations in Massachusetts have been relatively strong with 61% of the state’s total population fully vaccinated and 63% with at least one dose of vaccine.

There were 10,347 new vaccinations reported today, the highest yet this week.

According to updated data released by the state Wednesday, the age group with the highest rate of infection are those in the 20 to 29 age bracket, followed by those in the 30 to 39 group. From there, the group with the next highest rate of infection per 100,000 people are those under 4 years old. A total of 66 children under 4 tested positive for the virus in the past two-week period.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts hospitals were reporting the majority of new COVID cases were in unvaccinated individuals, yet an uptick in Provincetown this week has been attributed to cases amongst people who are already vaccinated, or “breakthrough” cases.

 

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Dozens of Vaccinated Residents Have Died of COVID in Mass.: What to Know About Breakthrough Cases
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Public health officials have tracked 4,450 "breakthrough" cases of COVID-19 among Massachusetts residents fully vaccinated against the disease, representing about one-tenth of 1% of the roughly 4.2 million people immunized.

About 92% of the infections in vaccinated residents did not require hospitalizations, while 303 people, or 6.8%, were hospitalized, according to state Department of Public Health data through July 10.

 

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Another 236 COVID cases in Massachusetts are announced as delta variant raises concerns of further spread

New COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts continued to trend upward Thursday with the state reporting 236 new cases and four COVID deaths.

Although still relatively low, the numbers have been climbing for the past three weeks after hitting a pandemic low the week of June 20.

A look at positive tests by date that they were tested shows new cases in Massachusetts last week rose by 46% over the previous week. In fact, according to updated data from the Department of Public Health on Thursday, 13 of 14 Massachusetts counties saw cases rise from June 27 to July 10.

Barnstable County had the highest rate of infection at 1.9 cases per 100,000 people or 57 new cases in that same two-week period.

Thursday’s data showed hospitalizations also ticked up slightly to 108 patients with 36 of those in intensive care and 11 intubated. Hospitalizations had dropped to a low of 80 on July 4, the lowest since the pandemic first started flooding hospitals in March of last year.

The seven-day average of positive tests is at .78%.

Deaths have remained in the single digits for weeks now. They had swelled to nearly 200 a day at the start of the pandemic.

About 61% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, based on projected 2021 Massachusetts population estimates. And 63% of the state’s population have received at least one dose of vaccine.

“What we’re seeing is an extremely aggressive variant – the delta variant – which is probably 50% more contagious, more severe, potentially even more severe in younger people, doing its best to return us to yesteryear,” Dr. Mark Siedner, an infectious disease clinician at Mass General Hospital told WBZ News.

 

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Massachusetts reports 269 new COVID cases even as 61% of state’s population is fully vaccinated

A steady but rising trend of COVID-19cases continued Friday as the state reported 269 new cases of the virus.

New cases were declining sharply and hit a pandemic low on the week of June 20, but have been trending upward in the three weeks since then

New cases grew last week by 46%over the previous week as the more contagious delta variant of the virus continues to move through the population. Cases over the past two weeks rose in every Massachusetts county but Franklin County.

The state reported three new COVID deaths Friday. Despite the rise in cases, deaths have remained in the single digits for more than a month. The seven-day average of positive new tests rose to 0.87% Friday. It has been steadily ticking upward since hitting a low of 0.31% on June 25.

Hospitalizations have been hovering around 100 a day and are at 107 patients, according to Friday’s data. That number, however, includes people who are hospitalized for conditions other than COVID who tested positive for the virus. Of those patients, 34 were in intensive care and 18 were intubated.

According to the updated data, over the past week, the average age of those who tested positive for the virus was 37 and the average age of those who died is 73.

The state reported 9,316 new vaccinations. Approximately 61% of the state’s 2021 estimated population is fully vaccinated with 63% having received at least one vaccine dose.

About 4.3 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated. Recent data shows that by mid-July, 4,450 tested positive for COVID. The rate of breakthrough COVID cases stands at about 0.1%.

The data shows that although vaccination has dramatically impacted COVID’s spread and severity, it does not provide an absolute guarantee against contracting the virus.

Of the millions fully vaccinated in Massachusetts, public health officials say 79 have died, about 0.001% of the vaccinated population.

 

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Is Surging COVID a Real Worry? Why Mass. Doctors Are Concerned, Not Alarmed
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As Massachusetts starts to see a small uptick in COVID infections and cases start to spike in other parts of the United States, many are wondering if there is reason to be concerned.

NBC10 Boston asked several public health experts to weigh in on whether or not residents should start taking precautions.




Charlie Baker blames COVID-19 uptick on Fourth of July weekend
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Gov. Charlie Baker is urging residents to remain cautious — but not overly concerned — amid a “very small” but “significant” spike in COVID-19 cases in the wake of the Fourth of July weekend and with the more contagious Delta variant on the rise.

 

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Massachusetts reports the seven-day average of positive COVID tests is above 1%

Massachusetts health officials reported 717 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to the latest daily data. Officials also reported 4 new COVID fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic up to 17,659.

Monday’s new infections include totals reported on Saturday and Sunday.

The seven-day average of positive tests is now 1.02% amid a continued rise in infections across Massachusetts. The that stat stood at .87% on Friday, and has been steadily increasing over the last week.

There are now 106 Massachusetts patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19. That includes 31 in intensive care, and 15 who are currently intubated, data shows.

There have been 664,518 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Massachusetts since the pandemic began more than a year ago.

There has been a total of 8,786,702 vaccine doses administered in Massachusetts to date, representing more than 63% of the state’s population and 4,303,342 residents (61%) are now fully vaccinated. Vaccinations in Massachusetts have slowed considerably in recent weeks.

Cases have been increasing nationwide in part due to the circulation of more infectious variants, like the Delta variant. In Massachusetts, they were up 46% last week over the prior week. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed that 132 new COVID cases in Provincetown were linked to the Fourth of July weekend.

The latest data comes as the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday issued new recommendationsthat everyone age 2 and older wear a mask when returning to school this year, regardless of their vaccination status.

 

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Massachusetts reports 366 new COVID cases, 6 deaths on Tuesday as new infections, positive tests continue rising

Massachusetts health officials reported 366 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to the latest daily data. Officials also reported 6 new COVID fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic up to 17,665.

The seven-day average of positive tests is now 1.18%, up from 1.02% reported on Monday. The that stat stood at .87% on Friday, and has been steadily increasing over the last week.

There are now 100 Massachusetts patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19. That includes 33 in intensive care, and 18 who are currently intubated, data shows.

 

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Massachusetts reports 716 new COVID-19 breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals

Massachusetts public health officials reported 716 new COVID-19 breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated individuals in the past week, data from the Department of Public Health shows.

A breakthrough case is when an individual tests positive for COVID-19 after they've been fully vaccinated against the disease.

Numbers from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health show there have been 5,166 cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals as of July17, a significant increase from the 4,450 reported one week earlier.

As of Tuesday, the DPH reported 1,649 new positive COVID-19 cases between July 10 and July 16.

When analyzing the number of overall COVID-19 cases reported by the DPH between July 10 and July 16, the breakthrough cases account for 43.4 percent of all new COVID-19 cases.

Massachusetts doctors say the biggest cause is the arrival of the COVID-19 delta variant, which is twice as infectious than the original virus.

"We also know that people who have the Delta variant actually have 1,000 times the amount of virus in their nose, in their bodies," Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett with Boston Medical Center said.

Officials in Provincetown have traced at least 132 COVID-19 cases from July 1 to July 16 back to the Cape Cod community, saying that a vast majority of them have been among vaccinated individuals.

Massachusetts hospitals have seen increasing hospitalizations over the past 10 days, but the 7-day average of hospitalizations is only up approximately 20 patients versus the low hit on July 9.

 

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Massachusetts sees 457 new COVID cases, 2 deaths on Wednesday amid outbreak on Cape Cod

Massachusetts health officials reported 457 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, according to the latest daily data. Officials also reported 2 new COVID fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic up to 17,667.

The seven-day average of positive tests is now 1.30%, up from 1.18% reported on Tuesday. That figure stood at .87% on Friday, and has been steadily increasing over the last week.

There are now 107 Massachusetts patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 100 reported the previous day. That includes 34 in intensive care, and 14 who are currently intubated, data shows.




Breakthrough cases, delta variant: COVID-19 updates for Massachusetts

 

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Daily COVID cases continue worrying increase as Mass. reports 477 new infections, 6 deaths

Massachusetts health officials reported 477 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to the latest daily data. Officials also reported 6 new COVID fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic up to 17,673.

The seven-day average of positive tests is now 1.39%, up from 1.30% reported on Wednesday. That figure stood at .87% last week, and has been steadily increasing over the course of two weeks now.

There are now 118 Massachusetts patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 107 reported the previous day. That includes 36 in intensive care, and 12 who are currently intubated, data shows.


There has been a total of 8,813,952 vaccine doses administered in Massachusetts to date, and 4,317,442 fully vaccinated residents. Vaccinations in Massachusetts continue at its slowest pace since the rollout began earlier this year.

Health officials this week said that at least 250 new COVID cases in Provincetown were linked to the Fourth of July weekend. The outbreak on Cape Cod, which has prompted some towns to reinstate mask advisories, comes at the height of the summer tourist season.

Facing pressure from more than a dozen lawmakers, Gov. Charlie Baker said on Thursday that his administration has no plans to reinstate a mask mandate for schoolsthis fall amid the rise in cases.

 

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Massachusetts reports 586 new COVID cases, 5 deaths on Friday

Massachusetts health officials reported 586 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, according to the latest daily data. Officials also reported 5 new COVID fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic up to 17,678.

The seven-day average of positive tests is now 1.53%, up from 1.39% reported on Thursday. That figure stood at .87% last week, and has been steadily increasing over the course of two weeks now.

There are now 114 Massachusetts patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, down from 118 reported the previous day. That includes 29 in intensive care, and 12 who are currently intubated, data shows.

There have been 668,404 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Massachusetts since the pandemic began

A total of 8,823,479 vaccine doses have been administered in Massachusetts to date, and 4,321,931 residents are now fully vaccinated as of Friday.

 

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Cases tied to Provincetown COVID-19 cluster rise from 256 to 430
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PROVINCETOWN, Mass. —

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases tied to a cluster in Provincetown has nearly doubled in a span of three days.

On Saturday, Town Manager Alex Morse shared that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is reporting that at least 430 confirmed COVID-19 cases are associated with the Provincetown cluster. Of these cases, 342 are Massachusetts residents and 153 of those people reside in Provincetown. The remainder of those who tested positive reside in other states.


In his last update on Wednesday, Morse said at least 256 confirmed coronavirus cases were associated with the cluster.

 

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New COVID cases in Massachusetts rose by at least 77% last week, data shows

The number of new COVID cases continues to rise across the state, bolstered by the more highly contagious delta variant.

Updated data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released Tuesday shows that new cases rose by at least 77% last week over the previous week. The week beginning July 18 saw 3,217 new cases across the commonwealth compared to 1,821 the week before. This reflects cases from last week that have been reported as of Tuesday.

The state reported 657 new cases on Tuesday and 12 new COVID deaths. The highest number of new cases is coming from Middlesex County, data shows, while Worcester and Essex counties are close behind. Franklin and Berkshire counties both saw just one new COVID case reported Tuesday.

Hospitalizations, which had dipped into the 80s, rose to 152 Monday. The seven-day positive test rate increased to 1.83%, up from 1.65% yesterday. It reached a pandemic low of .31% on June 25, which by most metrics, marked the low point of the pandemic before COVID cases began to rise again.

There were 7,098 new vaccine doses reported administered. The state remains at 62% of the population fully vaccinated with 64% having had at least one dose of vaccine.

 

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The average age of new COVID cases in Massachusetts is now 35 as state reports 598 new cases

The state announced another 598 new COVID cases on Wednesday, down slightly from the past two days but still elevated a month after hitting a pandemic low.

Hospitalizations also continue to tick upward and grew to 163, up 11 more from the previous day while the seven-day average of positive new tests is now at 1.87%. It was 1.83% yesterday after reaching a low of .31% on June 25.

Of the hospitalizations, 35 were in intensive care and 14 were intubated.

Six more COVID deaths were reported.

The 20 to 29 age group continues to be the largest group testing positive for the virus and the two-week average age of positive COVID tests is now 35, down from 37 two weeks ago. The average age of COVID deaths for the past two weeks is 70.

Last week saw new COVID cases in the state increase by nearly 80% over the previous week. According to updated data from the state today, positive tests last week now total 3,289 — up from 1,835 the week before. Additional test results are still being reported.

Health officials attribute the upward trend to the highly contagious delta variant of the virus. Although they have been steadily increasing, they still pale in comparison to earlier spikes including the most recent March/April spike in which weekly cases rose to 14,785 on the week of March 21.

The state reported 10,034 new COVID vaccine doses administered. About 62% of the state’s estimated 2021 population is now fully vaccinated with 64% having received at least one dose.

Provincetown continues to lead the state in new COVID cases with a cluster of infections that has now grown to 833 total cases, Provincetown Mayor Alex Morse announced on Wednesday.

Morse said out of these new cases, “501 are Massachusetts residents, 210 of which reside in Provincetown. The remainder of individuals who tested positive reside in other states.”

 

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Mass. reports highest vaccine doses since June 30 as new cases climb

Massachusetts health officials announced an uptick in COVID-19vaccinations on Thursday, with more than 19,000 new doses administered — the highest total in nearly a month.

The state announced 742 new cases Thursday, up from Wednesday’s 598 and still much higher than pandemic lows seen last month. Since the pandemic hit the U.S. last year, 671,644 Massachusetts residents have contracted the virus and 17,711 have died, with the Department of Public Health announcing eight new deaths Thursday.

More than 4.3 million Massachusetts residents — about 62% of the state’s estimated 2021 population — are fully vaccinated. Sixty-five percent of the state’s residents have received at least one dose.

Hospitalizations rose to 176 compared to Wednesday’s 163, a 13-patient increase compared to 11 the day prior. Thirty-nine are in intensive care and 17 are intubated.

The seven-day average rate of positive tests stands at 1.92%, up from yesterday’s 1.87%. The state reported a low of .31% on June 25

 

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Mass. reports another 844 new COVID cases as 7-day percent positive passes 2%

Massachusetts reported another 844 COVID cases Friday as the delta variant continues to spread across the state, but predominantly in a few Eastern Massachusetts counties.

The new case report represents the second-highest day of new cases reported this week.

Hospitalizations also continued to rise and are at 197. That includes 40 patients in intensive care and 21 who are intubated.

The seven-day average of positive new tests eclipsed 2% for the first time since April and is at 2.07% now.

The state has seen an increase in new vaccinations this week with 10,057 more doses reported administered today. Yesterday saw 19,037 new doses, the highest since late June. About 62% of the state’s estimated 2021 population is fully vaccinated with 65% having received at least one dose.

Most new infections continue to be among those 20 to 29 years of age, with the 30 to 39 age group close behind.

The number of positive cases grew last week by 79% statewide over the previous week. Updated data from the Department of Public Health shows there were 3,308 people who tested positive last week compared to 1,844 the previous week. The numbers remain low compared to pandemic spikes in the past including the most recent spike in April.

Four Massachusetts communitieshave either a high or substantial transmission risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The CDC data, which is based on the most recent reporting period — July 21 to July 27 — lists Barnstable and Dukes counties as high risk for COVID transmission. Suffolk and Bristol counties are both listed as a substantial risk. The CDC recommends even fully vaccinated individuals should mask up indoors in these areas.

According to data updated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Thursday, all but one county in the state saw higher case counts in the past week.

 

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Teachers union calls state decision to encourage, but not require, masking in schools ‘reckless’

Educators unions in Massachusetts are urging officials to change course on mask-wearing in schools after state officials on Friday said the prevention effort will be encouraged but not required.


In guidance released Friday, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education strongly encouraged, but did not require, unvaccinated students in grades K-12 or school staff to wear masks when inside school buildings this fall.

 

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COVID hospitalizations increase in Massachusetts, data shows

Massachusetts averaged 685 new COVID cases a day from Saturday through Monday, while averaging 8,261 new vaccinations a day during that time period.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released updated COVID data Monday, including data from over the weekend. The state reported 2,054 more cases in the period of Saturday through Monday and saw hospitalizations rise to 215 patients — the number had dipped into the 80s at the end of June. Of those patients, 50 are in intensive care and 19 are intubated.

There were two more confirmed deaths since Friday.

The seven-day average of percent positivity of new tests is now 2.28%, up from a pandemic low of 0.31% on June 25.

New cases of COVID have been rising weekly since about June 25 as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Cases have been steadily rising for five weeks. Tests from last week are still being reported.

Updated data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention now shows nine Massachusetts counties at either substantial or high risk for COVID-19 transmission, up from four counties last week.

Counties at high risk for transmission of the virus include Nantucket and Barnstable counties. Last week’s CDC data showed Bristol and Suffolk counties at substantial risk, while this week Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex and Plymouth counties were added.

The CDC is recommending people in these areas wear masks when in public settings indoors even if they are vaccinated.

The state reported 24,783 new vaccinations since Saturday, averaging 8,261 a day.

 

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Mass. Confirms 883 New COVID Cases, 2 More Deaths

Massachusetts health officials reported another 883 confirmed coronavirus cases -- the most in a single day since early May -- and two new deaths on Tuesday, while the positive test rate rose above 2.5%.

The report pushed the state's confirmed COVID-19 caseload to 675,425 since the start of the pandemic and its death toll to 17,718. The last time more than 883 COVID cases were reported in one day was on May 6.

The state's COVID metrics, tracked on the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, are far lower than they were several months ago, though some have been rising in recent weeks. While breakthrough cases are being reported, officials say most new cases, and especially serious infections, are in the unvaccinated.

Massachusetts' seven-day average of positive tests rose to 2.54% on Tuesday. It was once above 30%, but had dropped under 0.5% until the delta variant began surging in the state.

The number of patients in Massachusetts hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 226; the figure was once nearly 4,000, but averaged under 85 in July. Of those currently hospitalized, 51 are listed as being in intensive care units and 16 are intubated.

 

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CDC says 12 of 14 Massachusetts counties are now at high or substantial risk for COVID