Beverly Coronavirus Cases Push Higher Once Again

BEVERLY, MA — Coronavirus cases in Beverly increased once again this past week with the rate of 17.7 cases per 100,000 people a new high since the state began releasing town-by-town data in August.

The rate is more than double the 8.0 cases the state used up until last week to determine whether a city or town is at "high risk" for community spread of the virus.

"We all need to think of our neighbors and loved ones who have gotten sick or died from COVID-19 already," Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill said in a recent message to the community. "We all need to think of those people we right now can act to prevent from getting sick or dying, and we all need to think of those on the front lines, those fighting the virus and those providing critical services — our police and firefighters, our nurses and doctors, our teachers, our food service and cleaning and other essential service employees — and all of their family members.

"This is the time to think of others and of our whole community."

Last week the state introduced new curfews and a state-at-home advisory in the same week it revised its metrics for when a community is considered "high risk" to avoid automatic triggers for remote learning many communities had when considered "high risk" for three consecutive weeks.

While Beverly's rate is up from the 14.8 reported last Friday, its positive test rate did stabilize somewhat in going from 1.13 percent to 1.26 percent.

The statewide positive test rate over the last two weeks increased in 223 — or 63.5 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate fell in 66 — or 18.8 percent — communities and held steady in the remaining 62.

Statewide, there were 20.7 average daily cases per 100,000 residents, up from 15.3 last week.

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