MA Town-By-Town COVID: Case Rates, Hospitalizations Increase Slightly

MASSACHUSETTS — Several key coronavirus metrics took a slight turn in the wrong direction, according to data released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Thursday.

Coronavirus infection rates in Massachusetts rose slightly, as did hospitalizations and the positive test rate. But death rates decreased since last week, according to state data. Positivity rates remained about the same.

On Thursday, state data showed COVID-19 case rates increase in 101 Massachusetts cities and towns. Massachusetts also saw 205 communities with decreasing COVID-19 rates and 30 with no change.

According to state COVID-19 data, the seven-day positive test rate also increased slightly from 5.53 percent last week to 5.85 percent Thursday. The picture was slightly better at the town-by town level, though.

In total, 176 communities across the state saw their positivity rates decrease, 133 saw it increase, and 27 saw no change.

The average hospitalizations went from 465.3 last week to 485. As of Wednesday, 491 Massachusetts residents were hospitalized with COVID-19.

As for deaths, there were 6.4 deaths per day over the last week, down from 9 per day a week ago.

The Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 1,915 new coronavirus cases, eight deaths and 7,864 vaccine doses administered.

The weekly average case count was 1,125.9 daily cases, up from 1,004 last week. 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 about 5.41 million. Booster doses were given to about 3.12 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 1,618 of the state's cases because state health officials could not determine which communities the patients lived in.

Other Key Coronavirus Metrics

Of the 491 hospitalized patients, 48 were in intensive care Wednesday, up 15 from a week ago, state health officials said. Fifteen patients were intubated statewide.

According to the Department of Public Health, 30 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-four percent of the state's hospitalized patients on Wednesday were vaccinated.

To date, there have been 1,765,659 confirmed cases and 19,709 deaths statewide since the pandemic began.

The state reported 34,926 new tests Thursday, bringing the total administered to about 46.03 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.