Local COVID-19 updates

[edschweppe]

As of 4PM this afternoon, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting seventy-seven more deaths from COVID-19 (for a total of 433 to date), 1588 new cases (for a total of 16790) and 6167 more persons tested (for a total of 85711). Governor Baker stated in today's press conference that "We’re continually reviewing the modeling, but right now we see evidence that we’re still on the upward slope of this pandemic."

The above-linked report includes a breakdown of confirmed cases and deaths statewide by race/ethnicity; however, as the Boston Globe reports, two-thirds of the cases and deaths don't have race or ethnicity reported:

Massachusetts for the first time Wednesday made public racial and ethnic information about the victims of the new coronavirus, but data was so incomplete it provided little insight into the pandemic’s impact on communities of color that have been hit hard in other states.

The data, released as Governor Charlie Baker’s administration faced increasing pressure to be more transparent about the victims of the outbreak, included racial and ethnic information for less than one-third of the 433 people who have died and the roughly 17,000 people who have tested positive. The limited statistics showed that Blacks and Latinos had disproportionately higher rates of infection, although the lack of data made it difficult to draw firm conclusions.

[... ]

(Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou) Sudders announced a public health order Wednesday requiring for the first time that health care providers and laboratories collect race and ethnicity data for the new coronavirus. The directive came more than two months after Massachusetts confirmed its first confirmed case of COVID-19, on Feb 1.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is the primary agency responsible for collecting and compiling test data from around the state. The agency had always asked for racial, ethnic, and other demographic information, but submission of the data had been voluntary.

The limited details released Wednesday showed that Latinos accounted for 23 percent of cases, a number higher than the 12 percent they represent of the state’s population. Black patients made up 18 percent, which was also disproportionately high for a group that accounts for 9 percent of the state’s population.

As of 9:30PM this evening, the town of Acton is reporting a total of 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in town (up from 22 yesterday). In addition to the NARA Park closure, the town has put parking restrictions in place along nearby roads. Fortunately, the townhouse complex in which I live has enough space that I can get some decent exercise just walking to the postal kiosk without running into crowds.