Framingham Still Red, But Coronavirus Cases Heading Downward

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham got some positive news about the direction of coronavirus cases in the city on Wednesday.

State data show Framingham's daily new case count is headed downward, and so is the rate of positive coronavirus tests. Framingham still remained in the red "high-risk" category with 28 other communities in the state, however.

Framingham first went on the state's high-risk list on Aug. 26, and cases have generally been rising ever since, except for a drop between Sept. 2 and Sept. 16. Here's a look at how the average number of new daily cases has changed since August (averaged over a two-week period, per 100,000 people), according to state data.

• Aug. 26 — 8.7
• Sept. 2 — 10.9
• Sept. 16 — 10.1
• Sept. 23 — 12.5
• Sept. 30 — 11.1

Framingham would need to drop below 8 new cases per day on average over a two-week period (per 100,000 people) to get off the high-risk list. The city reported 13 new cases on Wednesday. City officials report new cases three times per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Here's how those numbers have changed since the end of August:

• Aug. 26 — 26 new cases
• Aug. 28 — 21 new cases
• Aug. 31 — 27 new cases
• Sept. 2 — 17 new cases
• Sept. 4 — 8 new cases
• Sept. 7 — No report due to Labor Day
• Sept. 9 — 32 new cases
• Sept. 11 — 27 new cases
• Sept. 14 — 33 new cases
• Sept. 16 — 22 new cases
• Sept. 18 — 15 new cases
• Sept. 21 — 24 new cases
• Sept. 23 — 17 new cases
• Sept. 25 — 26 new cases
• Sept. 28 — 15 new cases
• Sept. 30 — 13 new cases

Since Framingham's addition to the high-risk list, the state has sent outreach teams into local neighborhoods to talk about virus prevention and hand out supplies like masks and sanitizer. Officials have said that large gatherings are a main factor in the city's rise in cases.

Framingham still has three free coronavirus testing sites, including a new drive-thru site that opened at Walsh Middle School today.