Peabody 1 of 19 MA 'High Risk' Coronavirus Communities

PEABODY, MA — While coronavirus cases in Peabody were down week over week in the latest state report, they still remain elevated enough to make the city one of 19 communities designated at "high risk" for community spread of the disease.

The city reported 290 new cases over the past 14 days with a positive test rate of 4.29 percent. The state's positive test rate as of Thursday was 1.77 percent — down from a high of 8.6 percent in early January.

Peabody's test rate is down from 4.66 percent last week. The city's cases per 100,000 residents this week were 30.8 — down from 34.1 last week.

Peabody on Thursday announced two more free, drive-thru coronavirus testing opportunities for residents at Higgins Middle School.

"The message is that people need to continue all the precautions they are so used to, and not let down their guard now that the vaccine is within sight," Peabody Director of Health and Human Services Sharon Cameron told Patch last week. "Even after vaccination, until more is known about the efficacy of the vaccines in preventing transmission, it will be important for people to continue social distancing, mask use, hand hygiene and staying home when they are sick.

"Social gatherings continue to play a significant role in contributing to cases in Peabody, as well as sports-related exposures and household exposures."

The majority of communities in the state, 179, were labeled medium risk, or yellow. The remainder were marked grey or green, the lowest levels.

Massachusetts reported 1,410 coronavirus cases and 42 deaths Thursday.

The positive test rate over the last two weeks fell in 201 — or 57.3 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate rose in 84 — or 23.9 percent — of communities and held steady in the remaining 66.

Two-week confirmed case counts fell in 203 communities and rose in 102.

There were 21.3 average daily cases per 100,000 residents of the state over that period, down from 23.3 last week.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)