Local COVID-19 updates
Aug. 4th, 2020 04:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 4PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 9 newly reported confirmed deaths (for a total of 8,436), 438 newly reported confirmed cases (for a total of 111,033), and 15,316 new patients tested by molecular tests (for a total of 1,234,106), with a total of 1,611,827 molecular tests administered to date. The ratio of newly confirmed cases to individuals tested by molecular test is 2.9%. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (for a total of 221), 108 newly reported probable cases (for a total of 8,170), and 783 patients tested by antibody tests (for a total of 98,298). Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 9 new deaths (for a total of 8,657) and 546 new cases (for a total of 119,203).
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 327.6 compared to 217.0 last week and 176.4 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 15.0 compared to 14.3 last week and 15.1 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of molecular tests per day is 14,347.4 compared to 11,615.0 last week and 11,471.3 two weeks ago. The seven day average percentage of tests coming back positive per day is 2.3% compared to 1.9% last week and 1.6% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
Fuck. It's good to see deaths down. But cases are way up, and so is the percent-positive ratio. Worse, the seven-day averages continue to trend badly.
At least I'm not the only one noticing these trends. Governor Baker and his folks have seen it as well, and he's hinting at scaling things back if the numbers keep deteriorating:
The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 3PM on July 28,the town reported 183 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in Acton with 4 individuals in isolation, 158 recovered and 21 fatalities.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 327.6 compared to 217.0 last week and 176.4 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 15.0 compared to 14.3 last week and 15.1 two weeks ago. The seven day average number of molecular tests per day is 14,347.4 compared to 11,615.0 last week and 11,471.3 two weeks ago. The seven day average percentage of tests coming back positive per day is 2.3% compared to 1.9% last week and 1.6% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
Fuck. It's good to see deaths down. But cases are way up, and so is the percent-positive ratio. Worse, the seven-day averages continue to trend badly.
At least I'm not the only one noticing these trends. Governor Baker and his folks have seen it as well, and he's hinting at scaling things back if the numbers keep deteriorating:
Governor Charlie Baker warned Tuesday that Massachusetts may have to scale back its reopening efforts if positive coronavirus cases continue to creep up.
"Over the past several days, we've seen a modest uptick in the percentage of new positive cases, and we continue to closely monitor and analyze the data to determine the factors that are driving that," Baker said during his regular briefing following a tour of the Boston MedFlight facility in Bedford.
He stressed that "if the data doesn't support moving forward, as we have said many times, we won't." State officials, he added, aren't taking "any options off the table" in the fight against the deadly contagion.
The governor added that state officials are working on "developing an ability to do mobile testing for schools" when they reopen in the fall.
In addition, Baker said Framingham on Wednesday will be the 17th community in the state to offer free coronavirus testing as part of the state's Stop The Spread initiative. The communities were selected for the initiative, Baker said, after officials noticed a "significant decline" in tests being conducted in those areas.
"So there are literally tens of thousands of tests that are now moving into our system from communities that had previously high test scores that are now being identified as positive test cases, where we can work with those folks to contact trace and isolate them and support them as they quarantine," he said "And we talked last week about some of the really big clusters that have turned up through some of the work done by the contact tracing team. This stuff all goes into a large discussion about what we should do and how we should respond."
Baker said "bringing those communities into the free testing program has definitely increased the amount of testing that is going on there and turned up cases that we wouldn't have turned up otherwise. It's a really good thing. But I also said in my remarks that we pay a lot of attention to this data."
Baker repeatedly urged constituents to take the familiar precautions of social distancing, face coverings, and proper hand hygiene to combat the spread of the virus.
"We've only had a slight uptick from a low of 1.7 percent, to 2 percent, but we'll be forced to adjust our plans if the data warrants it," Baker said. "That could mean gathering sizes could be reduced, or we could make some of our business regulations more strict. Reopening and staying open is a big part of the goal, but obviously we can't do that if we don't have everybody's help to continue to move forward."
The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 3PM on July 28,the town reported 183 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in Acton with 4 individuals in isolation, 158 recovered and 21 fatalities.