Swampscott Coronavirus Test Rates Tick Higher

SWAMPSCOTT, MA —After weeks of relatively little coronavirus spread in Swampscott the town saw a bump up in numbers in the state's most recent data report.

Swampscott reported 2.6 cases per 100,000 residents in the report — up from 0.5 the week prior. The metric is used to determine whether communities can continued eased business and public gathering restrictions in the state's reopening.

Swampscott remains designed a green "safe" community with less than 4.0 cases per 100,000 residents. Communities with more than 8.0 cases per 100,000 for three straight weeks must pull back on eased restrictions.

Because of Swampscott's small population, it only takes a few cases to move the metric. The town had five confirmed positive cases of coronavirus over the past two weeks.

The town's test-positive rate remained relatively stable at 0.34 percent.

Swampscott also tested considerably more over the most recent two-week span with 1,453 tests conducted compared to 1,167 tests over two weeks in the previous reporting period.

The numbers also followed a troubling trend statewide as 63 communities were designed "red" high-risk in the new town-by-town data — up from 40 the week before.

The positive test rate over the last two weeks increased in 168 — or 47.9 percent — of the 35 communities in the state. The rate fell in 80 — or 22.8 percent — communities and held steady in the remaining 103.

Statewide, the positive test rate rose to 1.3 percent, up from 0.8 percent in mid-September.

Related Patch Coverage: MA Town-By-Town Coronavirus Stats: 63 High-Risk Communities