Wayland Now A 'High-Risk' Community For Coronavirus

WAYLAND, MA — The number of active coronavirus cases in Wayland has eclipsed the previous high for seen during the first wave of the pandemic last spring, and the town has been added to the state's "high-risk" list, officials said Thursday.

At 67, the number of active cases is also more than double what the town reported on Dec. 24, when there were 31 cases. The town also reported a new death, bringing the town wide total since last March to 21. The most recent death was a person between 80 and 89 years old.

The previous high for active cases was 46 on May 15. But the jump in new cases between Dec. 24 and Jan. 1 was the biggest so far.

The daily rate of new cases in Wayland has also jumped recently to 35.7 per 100,000 people. That's the second-highest rate in the region behind only Framingham. That rate combined with high rate of positive tests landed Wayland on the high-risk list.

"The designation is based on the total number of cases for the last two weeks and Wayland’s positivity rate for testing, which is consistent with what we are seeing in the community," the town's statement said. "We were also told that 2/3 of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns have received the red designation."

The town has also shuttered two popular restaurants over the last two weeks due to outbreaks. The Dudley Chateau closed on Dec. 30 after employees and customers were sickened, and Mel's Commonwealth Café closed on Wednesday.