Barnstable's Positive Coronavirus Rate Falls: Latest Numbers

BARNSTABLE, MA — About two-thirds of Massachusetts communities, including Barnstable, had falling or steady positive coronavirus test rates over the last two weeks, according to new town-by-town data released by the state Wednesday.

The latest data showed the positive test rate over the last two weeks increased in 116— or 33 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate fell in 88, or 25.1 percent of communities, and held steady in the remaining 147.

Barnstable's case count over the last 14 days was 8, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 458. The town has conducted 1,616 tests over the past two weeks, 12 of which came back positive. There have been 14,219 tests conducted overall in Barnstable.

The town's percent positive rate over the last two weeks fell to .74 percent. Health officials say positive test results need to stay below 5 percent for two weeks or longer and, preferably, be closer to 2 percent, for states to safely ease restrictions. Four towns remained above that 5 percent positive threshold: Hancock, Lawrence, Monroe and West Stockbridge.

The state labeled Barnstable a "green" community, a designation given to cities and towns that average fewer than four cases per 100,000 people daily.

View the state's interactive COVID-19 map.