Worcester Coronavirus Cases Dropping As Other Communities Rise

WORCESTER, MA — Coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rose in over 140 cities and towns across the state over the past week, but the number of cases in Worcester fell for the second week in a row, state figures show.

According to state data released Thursday afternoon, the seven-day positive test rate in Massachusetts increased from 1.59 percent last week to 1.99 percent. Positivity rates are still lower than they were at the peak of the omicron wave in January.

Worcester's positive test rate dropped to 0.68 percent over the week ending March 24, lower than the 0.85 percent measured in the week ending March 17. The average daily rate of cases dropped to 6.9 per 100,000 on Thursday, down from 8.5 per 100,000 on March 17.

Worcester's total vaccination rate was still relatively low compared to other local communities, hovering around 67 percent as of Thursday. About 32 percent of Worcester residents have received a booster shot, according to state data.

An omicron variant known as BA.2 is circulating in the United States. There's also an extra-contagious delta-omicron hybrid, commonly called "deltacron," that may soon push up U.S. cases. Also, COVID-19 vaccines in general don't fend off BA.2 as well as earlier variants, but do offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 illness, according to the CDC.

Worcester Medical Director Michael Hirsh told Talk of the Commonwealth's Hank Stolz this week that BA.2 is peaking in the UK, and U.S. cases typically lag that nation by four to six weeks. The UK hasn't seen a big increase in hospitalizations, but that country has a much higher booster shot rate than the U.S.

But Hirsh also said South Africa, where omicron began, hasn't yet seen a BA.2 surge, leaving medical experts waiting to see what will happen locally.

"I think it's still not clear," he said. "We have to be ready, and I think by the end of April, we're going to have to have a good plan in place."