MA Coronavirus: 13 New Cases Announced, Total Now 41

Health officials on Monday announced 13 new cases of the coronavirus in Massachusetts, bringing the total number of cases to 41. Forty of the cases are "presumptive positive," which means the Centers for Disease Control still needs to verify the test results. Of the state's cases, only one — a UMass student who traveled to China — has been confirmed positive so far.

The majority of the cases have been linked to a Biogen employee conference in Boston in late February. According to numbers from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 32 cases have been linked to the conference. Four were travel-related, and five are still under investigation, the DPH said.

Health officials said the risk of contracting the virus in Massachusetts remains low.

Coronavirus Cases By County

Berkshire: 5

Middlesex: 15

Norfolk: 10

Suffolk: 10

Worcester: 1

Of the 41 cases, 18 are female and 23 are male, according to DPH data.

Schools

Several schools in Massachusetts have closed temporarily out of an abundance of caution and concern for the new coronavirus. As of Monday afternoon, schools in nine districts had closed for at least one day in response to coronavirus concerns. Clarksburg Public Schools in Berkshire County and the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden will be closed through the end of the week.

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Entertainment

The City of Boston has canceled the South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade amid fears of the fast-spreading coronavirus. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution."

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Organizers of the long-running New England Folk Festival pulled the plug on the event this year, citing concerns over the coronavirus.

"Many of the features that make our Festival the wonderful, community-building event that it is make it especially problematic for this kind of public health crisis," organizers said. The festival would have celebrated its 76th anniversary this year.

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Economy

An oil-price war couldn't have come at a worse time for markets already spooked by the potential spread of the coronavirus. Stocks of the biggest public companies in Massachusetts saw huge sell-offs Monday as markets crashed worldwide.

Led by oil companies, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than seven percent at the market open, before trading was temporarily halted. Markets have crept back up since trading resumed.

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Gas Prices

Gas prices in Massachusetts are averaging $2.43 for unleaded, down eight cents from a month ago and three cents from this time last week. Prices are dropping nationwide, with the average price at $2.38 a gallon, according to AAA.

The organization said the national average is cheaper on the week (-5 cents), month (-5 cents) and year (-9 cents), giving the majority of drivers savings at the pump. The national gas price average has not been this low since last February.

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