Local COVID-19 updates
Oct. 12th, 2020 04:28 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 (3 less than yesterday - down 18.8%) for a total of 9,401 deaths, 765 newly reported confirmed cases (195 more than yesterday - up 34.2%) for a total of 136,933 cases, and 18,801 new patients tested by molecular tests (3,004 more than yesterday - up 19.0%) for a total of 2,430,150 individuals tested. There were 67,395 new molecular tests reported (9,851 less than yesterday - down 12.8%) with a total of 4,815,399 molecular tests administered to date. The ratio of newly confirmed cases to individuals tested by molecular test is 4.1%, compared to 3.6% yesterday. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (1 less than yesterday) for a total of 216 deaths, and zero newly reported probable cases (same as yesterday) for a total of 2,730 cases. The state also reported 139 patients tested by antibody tests (49 less than yesterday - down 26.1%) for a total of 122,982 patients, and 361 patients tested by antigen tests (414 less than yesterday - down 53.4%) for a total of 150,702 patients. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 13 new deaths for a total of 9,617 and 765 new cases for a total of 139,663.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 575.4 compared to 587.4 last week (down 2.0%) and 438.6 two weeks ago (up 31.2%). The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 12.3 compared to 16.1 last week (down 23.9%) and 13.6 two weeks ago (down 9.5%). The seven day average number of newly tested individuals per day is 16,039.9 compared to 16,028.1 last week (up 0.1%) and 15,661.6 two weeks ago (up 2.4%). The seven day average percentage of individuals coming back confirmed positive per day is 3.6% compared to 3.7% last week and 2.7% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
Of the Commonwealth's four "key metrics" listed on page 2 of the report, the seven-day weighted average positive test rate is 1.1%, 38% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on September 21. The three-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 514, 70% above the lowest observed value of 302 on August 29. The number of hospitals using surge capacity is 1, 1 above the lowest observed value of 0 on September 5. The three-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 13, 39% above the lowest observed value of 9 on September 7.
Deaths down day-to-day, so yay. But confirmed cases up on a Monday? That's not good, considering the normal weekend reporting slump, and it's even less good when proportionaly fewer newly tested individuals are being reported. The seven-day averages are slightly better today than a week ago, but still worse than two weeks ago, we still have way more people hospitalized than the lowest observed value, and the three-day average number of deaths is climbing again.
The Boston Globe ran an editorial this morning wondering just why Governor Baker is reluctant to provide critical COVID-19 data:
The media, specifically including the Globe, could certainly be doing a better job of digging into the daily and weekly numbers and reporting trends; hey, if I can compare the number of newly reported cases on a day-to-day basis, certainly a big newspaper can? Right? But the state does need to provide more granularity on things like which workplaces (or at least which industries) are affected, both so folks can make their own personal risk assessments and to provide a factual basis for decisions on what businesses and/or communities need to open or close.
The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 9:15AM on October 7, the town of Acton reported 212 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 3 individuals in isolation, 188 recovered and 21 fatalities.
The seven day average number of newly confirmed cases per day is 575.4 compared to 587.4 last week (down 2.0%) and 438.6 two weeks ago (up 31.2%). The seven day average number of newly confirmed deaths per day is 12.3 compared to 16.1 last week (down 23.9%) and 13.6 two weeks ago (down 9.5%). The seven day average number of newly tested individuals per day is 16,039.9 compared to 16,028.1 last week (up 0.1%) and 15,661.6 two weeks ago (up 2.4%). The seven day average percentage of individuals coming back confirmed positive per day is 3.6% compared to 3.7% last week and 2.7% two weeks ago. (The above averages are calculated from today's raw data download.)
Of the Commonwealth's four "key metrics" listed on page 2 of the report, the seven-day weighted average positive test rate is 1.1%, 38% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on September 21. The three-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 514, 70% above the lowest observed value of 302 on August 29. The number of hospitals using surge capacity is 1, 1 above the lowest observed value of 0 on September 5. The three-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 13, 39% above the lowest observed value of 9 on September 7.
Deaths down day-to-day, so yay. But confirmed cases up on a Monday? That's not good, considering the normal weekend reporting slump, and it's even less good when proportionaly fewer newly tested individuals are being reported. The seven-day averages are slightly better today than a week ago, but still worse than two weeks ago, we still have way more people hospitalized than the lowest observed value, and the three-day average number of deaths is climbing again.
The Boston Globe ran an editorial this morning wondering just why Governor Baker is reluctant to provide critical COVID-19 data:
In Massachusetts, 1 in 7 seniors living in elder-care facilities has died of COVID-19. That death rate, as the Globe's Spotlight Team reported in its recent investigation about death amid the pandemic, is among the highest in the country.
But for Governor Charlie Baker's administration, for too long, aging adults and veterans were not the top priority, the investigation found, even when it was known early on that nursing homes were at high risk of outbreaks.
Six months later, the pandemic is more or less under control in the state. The governor deserves credit for that. But we can't afford any more blind spots. The public needs to keep a close eye on the trends — and hold the state accountable when required.
That's why it's worrisome that the Baker administration has provided only partial access to important COVID infection data in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, even after the governor signed a law to enhance data reporting.
Such lack of transparency and reluctance to disclose key COVID information is not new. Early on, the state wouldn't release COVID infection data by city and town, making it hard to track geographical hotspots. More opacity could have deadly consequences: obscuring the scope and pattern of the pandemic makes it harder for local government officials, epidemiologists, and the public at-large to react to potential hot spots.
In June, Baker signed a broad data collection law that mandated, among other requirements, more information be disclosed about infections at nursing homes, assisted living centers, and other long-term senior care facilities. But the administration is not in full compliance. For instance, the state's Department of Public Health is required to report the daily number of cases and deaths for both staff and residents at these facilities, but it is only reporting cases from each institution in broad ranges, such as "1-10" or ">30" when the new statute requires precise numbers. Additionally, DPH is failing to disclose the cumulative number of deaths at specific assisted living institutions.
The media, specifically including the Globe, could certainly be doing a better job of digging into the daily and weekly numbers and reporting trends; hey, if I can compare the number of newly reported cases on a day-to-day basis, certainly a big newspaper can? Right? But the state does need to provide more granularity on things like which workplaces (or at least which industries) are affected, both so folks can make their own personal risk assessments and to provide a factual basis for decisions on what businesses and/or communities need to open or close.
The town of Acton has yet to post an update today. As of the most recent report at 9:15AM on October 7, the town of Acton reported 212 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in town with 3 individuals in isolation, 188 recovered and 21 fatalities.