Massachusetts COVID-19 average positive test rate drops below 2% for first time since March 16th

Massachusetts saw a decrease in cases, active cases, and average positive test rate, in Sunday’s COVID-19 report.

Massachusetts saw 1,265 more positive cases announced today. A decrease from Saturday’s report. The 7 day weighted average positive test rate decreased again, this time from 2.15% to 1.98%. On March 8th, the rate was 1.78%. The rate has decreased for the last several days.

Massachusetts had seen 1,694 more positive cases announced yesterday.

The age group with the most cases in the past two weeks is 20-29 with 5,942.

Courtesy of the State of Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Health statistics show a rise in total confirmed cases to 631,471 with 7 more reported dead (7 confirmed, 0 probable) for a total of 17,462 (17,117 confirmed, 345 probable).

The overall amount of tests administered in Massachusetts is now 20,431,312 after 79,078 new molecular tests.

The 7 day average of confirmed COVID-19 deaths decreased to 7.7. At the beginning of February, the average death rate was 70+.

Estimated active cases saw a decrease of 100+ to 34,553. Active cases have decreased the last several days.

Hospitalizations have increased in 86 of the last 160 days and saw an increase of 8, to raise the total to 701. Before the previous 4 weeks of mainly increases, COVID-19 hospitalizations had been on the decrease as there were 2,428 in the Bay State on January 4th. Late last month’s total of 580 was the lowest since November 7th. It appears that hospitalizations may be back on a downward trend as the last few days had seen decreases before today.

Nursing home cases and cluster information issued on April 15th.

Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report

According to the April 15th report, Fall River has a 35.5 Average Daily COVID-19 Rate per 100,000 population (Last 14 days) (37.2 last week). New Bedford saw a decrease to 34.9 (was 36.2). Westport saw a decrease to 25.2 (was 28.6), Swansea is at 36.3, an increase, and was 29.1 last week. Somerset also saw an increase as they sit at 30.5 (was 27.00). Freetown stands at 30.0 a decrease from 36.3. Dartmouth is currently at 26.0, a jump from last week’s 23.3. Acushnet saw 20.5 (was 24.6).

59 Massachusetts communities are still in the red (high risk) which is down from 77 last week. 55 were in the red the week before and 32 the week before that. Adams, Avon, Ayer, Barnstable, Brewster, Brockton, Chelmsford, Chicopee, Dennis, Dighton, Dracut, Edgartown, Fall River, Freetown, Hamilton, Hanson, Harwich, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lee, Littleton, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Mashpee, Methuen, Middleborough, Milford, Monson, Nantucket, New Bedford, Oak Bluffs, Orange, Paxton, Plainville, Plymouth, Rehoboth, Revere, Saugus, Seekonk, Somerset, Southwick, Springfield, Sterling, Sutton, Swansea, Taunton, Templeton, Tisbury, Tyngsboro, Wareham, West Boyleston, West Bridgewater, West Springfield, Westport, Whitman, Williamstown, and Yarmouth.

Massachusetts Officials have issued a “vaccine doses administered and shipped” report updated on April 15th.

As of April 18th, according to the CDC, the United States has seen 31,444,706 cases of COVID-19 with 563,980 reported deaths.

(Graphics courtesy of CDC)