Peabody Going 'Green' As Coronavirus Test Rates Improve

PEABODY, MA — A fourth straight week of improving coronavirus case numbers has Peabody going green when it comes to the state's measure of infection rate in the city.

Peabody had been in the "yellow" caution category for a month before dipping into the green in the figures reported this week. Peabody is down to 2.8 cases per 100,000 residents with a rolling test-positive 14-day average of 1.31 percent.

The statewide average is 4.6 cases per 100,000 residents and a positive-test rate of 1.2 percent.

The numbers are a dramatic improvement from last month when Peabody had a 2.88 percent positive rate over 14 days, with 6.66 cases per 100,000 residents on Aug. 16. One week ago, the city was still at a 1.95 test-positive rate and 5.12 cases per 100,000 residents.

The dropping numbers are part of the reason why the city will start schools in a hybrid learning model — instead of fully remote — when they open on Sept. 14, and while the Peabody Athletic and Wellness Subcommittee voted Tuesday night to allow fall season sports to begin in October for "lower risk" and "moderate risk" sports such as cross country running, field hockey, golf and soccer.

View the state's interactive map here.

(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.)