Local COVID-19 updates
Aug. 21st, 2020 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 4PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 13 newly reported confirmed deaths (1 more than yesterday - up 8.3%) for a total of 8,670 deaths, 431 newly reported confirmed cases (169 more than yesterday - up 64.5%) for a total of 115,741 cases, and 26,758 new patients tested by molecular tests (4,927 more than yesterday - up 22.6%) for a total of 1,535,862 individuals tested, with a total of 2,050,871 molecular tests administered to date. The ratio of newly confirmed cases to individuals tested by molecular test is 1.6%, compared to 1.2% yesterday. The state also reported 808 patients tested by antibody tests (145 more than yesterday - up 21.9%) for a total of 108,011 and 1,595 patients tested by antigen tests (1,035 more than yesterday - up 184.8%) for a total of 74,485.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 287.4 compared to 268.0 last week (up 7.2%) and 295.1 two weeks ago (down 2.6%). The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 12.6 compared to 13.4 last week (down 6.4%) and 14.1 two weeks ago (down 11.1%). The seven day average number of molecular tests per day is 19,018.9 compared to 17,873.3 last week (up 6.4%) and 13,858.9 two weeks ago (up 37.2%). The seven day average percentage of tests coming back positive per day is 1.5% compared to 1.6% last week and 2.1% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
The day-to-day changes today are mostly bad - more deaths, lots more cases, some more tests, and higher percent-positive ratio. The seven-day averages are also a mixed bag - today's jump in cases means the seven-day average is up from last week (although down from two weeks ago); while the seven-day averages for deaths and percent-positive continue a good downward trend and the seven-day test averages continue a good upward trend. Additional good news on the long-term front: two of the state's key metrics (seven-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate and three-day average of number of COVID-19 patients in hospital) are at their lowest-ever observed values.
I noted yesterday that Governor Baker's news conference included an announcement of a planned system upgrade at the Department of Public Health; there is now a press release with further details:
The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 3:30PM on August 17, the town of Acton reported 189 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 3 individuals in isolation, 165 recovered and 21 fatalities.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 287.4 compared to 268.0 last week (up 7.2%) and 295.1 two weeks ago (down 2.6%). The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 12.6 compared to 13.4 last week (down 6.4%) and 14.1 two weeks ago (down 11.1%). The seven day average number of molecular tests per day is 19,018.9 compared to 17,873.3 last week (up 6.4%) and 13,858.9 two weeks ago (up 37.2%). The seven day average percentage of tests coming back positive per day is 1.5% compared to 1.6% last week and 2.1% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
The day-to-day changes today are mostly bad - more deaths, lots more cases, some more tests, and higher percent-positive ratio. The seven-day averages are also a mixed bag - today's jump in cases means the seven-day average is up from last week (although down from two weeks ago); while the seven-day averages for deaths and percent-positive continue a good downward trend and the seven-day test averages continue a good upward trend. Additional good news on the long-term front: two of the state's key metrics (seven-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate and three-day average of number of COVID-19 patients in hospital) are at their lowest-ever observed values.
I noted yesterday that Governor Baker's news conference included an announcement of a planned system upgrade at the Department of Public Health; there is now a press release with further details:
The migration to the cloud requires a temporary interruption of laboratory data reporting to DPH. This means that on Saturday, August 22, DPH will publish a dashboard based on data received by 5 PM Friday, instead of by 8 am Saturday. As a result, it should be noted that Saturday’s report could reflect lower numbers of individual tests, total tests, new cases, and deaths. Hospitalization numbers will not be impacted. No dashboard will be published on Sunday, August 23.
DPH expects laboratory data to have resumed to its normal flow by Monday, August 24, when the daily COVID-19 dashboard posting will resume. All laboratory results from the weekend will be displayed on the Monday dashboard report and will be appropriately assigned to their respective test dates, as usual.
"This system migration and capacity upgrade has been planned for many months for enhanced stability and security of our systems and to accommodate the recent and expected growth in COVID-19 test volumes," said Kevin Cranston, DPH Assistant Commissioner and Director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences. "It is particularly critical that we make the move now to manage the testing of thousands of college and university students starting soon."
The migration to the cloud is a needed upgrade that will result in several system improvements including:
- Increasing the current daily volume of test results processed from 25K test results to 100K
- Incorporating an electronic Quality Assurance dashboard to monitor data flow and errors, a process currently done manually
- Providing additional capacity on the server, making more data report enhancements possible
The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 3:30PM on August 17, the town of Acton reported 189 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 3 individuals in isolation, 165 recovered and 21 fatalities.