COVID Cases Up In Nearly 2 Thirds Of MA Communities: Town-By-Town Data

MASSACHUSETTS — Coronavirus cases increased in nearly two thirds of Massachusetts cities and towns, according to the latest Massachusetts Department of Public Health data released Thursday.

Case counts rose in 221 communities, stayed the same in 45 and decreased in 70, state data showed.

According to state COVID-19 data, the seven-day positive test rate also increased, from 2.36 percent last week to 2.75 percent this week. However, positivity rates are still much lower than they were at the peak of the omicron wave in January. Still, cases have started sticking up since the third week of March, according to state data.

But some key coronavirus metrics statewide continued to head in the right direction, like hospitalizations and deaths.

The seven-day average number of hospitalized patients was 217.1, down from 218.6 the week before, according to the Department of Public Health. There were also 3.7 deaths per day over the last week, down from four a week ago.

But positivity test rates rose in more than 200 Massachusetts cities and towns. In Massachusetts, 206 communities saw the rate increase, 40 had no change, and 90 saw it drop, the public health department said.

The Department of Public Health on Thursday also reported 1,760 new coronavirus cases, seven deaths and 15,646 vaccine doses administered.

The weekly average case count was 965 daily cases, up from 800.9 a week before. At the early January peak of the omicron surge, the state reported more than 23,000 average daily cases.

The latest state vaccine report showed the number of fully vaccinated residents rose to more than 5.33 million. Booster doses were given to about 2.95 million residents.

Community-Level Data

To use this map, zoom in and click on a pin to see that community's coronavirus vaccination rate or case numbers. You can also view the town-by-town coronavirus data here

Colors on the map represented if a community's case counts were decreasing, staying the same or increasing. Blue dots meant a community had a lower case count from the previous week. Yellow meant they stayed the same, and red meant higher.

For dozens of communities, up to 30 vaccinations may be missing from the data, as the state did not report totals for demographic subgroups with fewer than 30 vaccinated.

The data also did not include 1,785 of the state's cases because state health officials could not determine which communities the patients lived in. Vaccination rates in some communities, such as Brookline, Buckland and Lincoln, may be skewed by reporting issues, such as federal facilities or misalignment between ZIP code and municipal boundaries.

Other Key Coronavirus Metrics

Of the hospitalized patients, 28 were in intensive care Wednesday, down four from a week before, state health officials said.

According to the Department of Public Health, 39 percent of the state's coronavirus hospitalizations over the last week were "primarily" hospitalized for the virus, versus "incidental" cases who tested positive while hospitalized for another reason. Fifty-nine percent of the state's hospitalized patients on Wednesday were vaccinated.

To date, there have been 1,572,896 confirmed cases and 19,028 deaths statewide since the pandemic began.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

The state reported 63,894 new tests Thursday, bringing the total administered to about 42.72 million.

The data included coronavirus cases for all Massachusetts communities, except for those with populations under 50,000 and those with fewer than five cases. The department said the stipulation was designed to protect the privacy of patients in those towns and cities.

The state releases town-by-town testing data every Thursday, including the number of people tested, the testing rate, the positive test rate, cases and infection rates.

Don't miss updates about precautions in your area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.