MASSACHUSETTS – The number of designated high-risk coronavirus communities has continued to drop dramatically in the state’s city-by-city data report, as positive test rates have dropped in more than three-quarters of cities.
The average seven-day positive test rate for the state dropped to 2.65%, the lowest level since early November. Case counts, hospitalizations and deaths across the state have also dropped in the past week.
Governor Charlie Baker said on Thursday that the state would have distributed more than a million vaccines in the past two months.
From Thursday, those over 75 years old can have a companion or caregiver to accompany them until the consultation and get vaccinated if they enroll.
There were 2,213 new confirmed cases and 61 deaths Thursday.
The seven-day average of hospitalized patients was 1,419, compared to 1,698 the previous week. There were 304 patients in intensive care.
The city-by-city report labeled 110 Massachusetts communities at high risk for the virus, up from 153 last week; the full list can be found at the end of this article.
The positive test rate in the past two weeks has dropped by 271 – or 77.2 percent – of the 351 communities in the state. The rate increased in 50 – or 14.3 percent – of the communities and remained stable in the remaining 30. The number of confirmed cases in two weeks increased in just 37 communities.
There were 38.5 average daily cases per 100,000 residents of the state in the period, compared to 48.9 in the previous week.
To date, there have been 523,258 cases and 14,964 confirmed deaths across the state since the pandemic began. Authorities estimate there were 50,344 active cases as of Thursday.
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Health officials say the positive results of the coronavirus test need to stay below 5% for two weeks or more and preferably be close to 2%, so that states can safely ease restrictions. The number of communities reporting rates above 5 percent dropped to 106 from 154 last week.
Only two cities, Hancock and Tolland, reported positive test rates above 15 percent. Eighty-one reported test rates below 2 percent.
The state registered 110,792 new tests Thursday, bringing the total to 14.6 million.
The data includes coronavirus cases for all communities in Massachusetts, except for those with populations under 50,000 and less than five cases. The department said the stipulation was designed to protect patients’ privacy in those cities.
The state releases city-by-city test data every Thursday, including the number of people tested, the test rate, the positive test rate, cases and infection rates.
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How to use this map: Zoom in on the map below and click on a pin to see the coronavirus case data for that community. You can also view coronavirus data from city to city in the spreadsheet we used to create this map.
The map does not include 1,464 of the state’s cases because state health officials were unable to determine which communities the patients lived in.
The colors of the pins correspond to the state’s risk designations. Red pins are high-risk or red communities. Yellow pins are medium risk, green pins low risk and gray pins maximum 15 cases in total.
High-risk communities: Abington, Acushnet, Adams, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Ayer, Barnstable, Bellingham, Berkley, Blackstone, Boxford, Brewster, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Chatham, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Cohasset, Dartmouth, Dedham , Dennis, Dighton, Douglas, Dracut, East Bridgewater, Eastham, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Foxborough, Freetown, Gardner, Georgetown, Great Barrington, Halifax, Hamilton, Hampden, Hanover, Hanson, Haverhill, Holbrook, Holyoke, Hudson, Hull, Lakeville, Lawrence, Leominster, Littleton, Lowell, Ludlow, Lunenburg, Lynn, Malden, Marion, Marlborough, Marshfield, Methuen, Middleborough, Middleton, Monson, New Bedford, North Reading, Norwood, Orleans, Oxford, Palmer, Paxton, Peabody, Pembroke, Plainville, Plymouth, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Revere, Rochester, Rockland, Rutland, Salisbury, Sandwich, Saugus, Seekonk, Shirley, Somerset, Southampton, Southborough, Southbridge, Southwick, Spencer, Springfield, Sterling, Sunderland, Sutton, Swansea, Taun ton, Templeton, Townsend, Ware, Webster, West Bridgewater, West Brookfield, West Springfield, Westminster, Westport, Weymouth, Whitman and Winchendon.