MA Town-By-Town COVID-19: Hospitalization Rate Up 23% In Last 2 Weeks

MASSACHUSETTS — Coronavirus infection rates in Massachusetts have started declining slightly over the last two weeks, but hospitalizations and deaths were still on the rise, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health.

The seven-day average number of hospitalized patients rose more than 23 percent in the last two weeks, state data showed. The average hospitalizations went from 664.1 two weeks ago to 817.3. As of Wednesday, 814 Massachusetts residents were hospitalized with COVID-19.

As for deaths, there were 10.6 deaths per day over the last week, up from 7.1 two weeks ago.

According to state COVID-19 data, the seven-day positive test rate also increased from 8.24 percent last week to 8.32 percent Thursday. In Massachusetts, 209 communities saw the rate increase, 18 had no change, and 109 saw it drop, the public health department said.

But other key coronavirus metrics headed in the right direction again.

COVID-19 infection rates rose in 283 Massachusetts communities two weeks ago, but on Thursday, state data showed a significant improvement, with 181 cities and towns seeing rates increase. On Thursday, Massachusetts also saw 133 communities with decreasing COVID-19 rates and 22 with no change

The Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 3,485 new coronavirus cases, 17 deaths and 14,681 vaccine doses administered.

The weekly average case count was 2,246 daily cases, down from 2,854.6 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 5.38 million. Booster doses were given to about 3.05 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.

The data also did not include 1,693 of the state's cases because state health officials could not determine which communities the patients lived in.

Other Key Coronavirus Metrics

Of the 814 hospitalized patients, 79 were in intensive care Wednesday, up 13 from two weeks before, state health officials said.

According to the Department of Public Health, 34 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. Sixty-three percent of the state's hospitalized patients on Wednesday were vaccinated.

To date, there have been 1,707,849 confirmed cases and 19,392 deaths statewide since the pandemic began.

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The state reported 44,168 new tests Thursday, bringing the total administered to more than 45 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.

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