Beverly Coronavirus Cases Stabilize In Latest State Report

BEVERLY, MA — While concerns of a post-Thanksgiving spike in coronavirus test rates remain throughout the state and the country, Beverly's recent rapid rise in cases did stabilize in the most recent state report.

Beverly's cases per 100,000 people — the sole metric the state used until last month to determine the extent to which a community can reopen businesses — stood at 26.3 in Thursday's report. That is down slightly from the 26.8 cases it reached in the Nov. 20 report.

Beverly's positive test rate rose from 1.68 percent to 1.98 percent during that same period. The city had 151 new cases over the previous 14 days leading up to Thursday, compared to 166 cases over the same span leading up to Nov. 20.

Until revising its formula for determining a community that is at high risk for community spread last month, any city or town with more than 8.0 cases per 100,000 people was considered a "red" high-risk community.

In response to the recent increases in coronavirus in the city and across the region, Beverly this week opened a drive-thru testing site at Lynch Park for residents.

"Please take advantage of this," Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill urged.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported by far the highest single-day coronavirus case total on record Thursday, the second day in a row surpassing the peak numbers from the virus's first wave in April.

The state reported 6,477 new cases, up nearly 2,000 from Wednesday and more than double the high reported in the spring. That included a 680 case backlog due to a technical issue at a lab, the state said, but even without those it was the most cases on record.

The latest town-by-town report labeled 97 Massachusetts communities as high-risk, up from 81 last week. The majority of the state's cities and towns reported rising test rates.

State officials announced 49 more deaths Thursday. The seven-day average of hospitalized coronavirus patients increased to 1,324, compared to 963 last Friday.

The positive test rate over the last two weeks increased in 209 — or 59.5 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 54.

There were 35.7 average daily cases per 100,000 residents, up from 34.9 last week.

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