Local COVID-19 updates
Feb. 25th, 2021 05:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 33 newly reported confirmed deaths (27 less than yesterday - down 45.0%) for a total of 15,657 deaths, 1,928 newly reported confirmed cases (140 more than yesterday - up 7.8%) for a total of 545,624 cases, and 118,144 newly reported molecular tests (4,017 more than yesterday - up 3.5%). The seven day average positivity rate is 1.85%, compared to 1.89% yesterday. Excluding higher education, the seven day average positivity rate is 3.06%, compared to 3.09% yesterday. The number of estimated active cases was 32,117 (1,215 less than yesterday - down 3.6%). The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (2 less than yesterday) for a total of 321 and 180 newly reported probable cases (134 less than yesterday - down 42.7%) for a total of 30,369. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 33 new deaths for a total of 15,978 and 2,108 new cases for a total of 575,993. There were 853 COVID-19 patients in hospital (22 less than yesterday - down 2.5%), 221 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (2 more than yesterday - up 0.9%) and 142 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (9 less than yesterday - down 6.0%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,163.0 (6 more than yesterday - up 0.5%), 640% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 82.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.85% (0 less than yesterday - down 2.0%), 140% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on 9/21/2020 and 93% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 926.0 (30 less than yesterday - down 3.1%), 497% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 77% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 35.0 (3 less than yesterday - down 7.9%), 218% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 80% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,280 non-ICU beds, of which 7,365 (79.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 632 (6.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,283 (13.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,439 ICU beds, of which 856 (59.5%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 221 (15.4%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 362 (25.2%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,247 non-ICU beds, of which 7,247 (78.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 656 (7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,344 (14.5%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,447 ICU beds, of which 837 (57.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 219 (15.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 391 (27.0%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,613.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 46.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,420.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.65% (or 4.24% excluding higher education).
Today being Thursday, the state also included city/town specific information in the daily download. My town of Acton is listed as having 759 total cases, with a two-week case count of 45 cases, a daily incidence rate of 13.5 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Acton is also listed as having 34,261 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 2,656 and a two-week positive test count of 51, for a percent-positive rate of 1.92 which is the same than last week. The corresponding statewide figures are 543,696 total cases, with a two-week case count of 22,732 cases, a daily incidence rate of 23.3 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Massachusetts is also listed as having 15,776,531 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 1,232,633 and a two-week positive test count of 26,554, for a percent-positive rate of 2.15 which is lower than last week.
Of the 351 cites and towns in the Commonwealth, 111 are coded gray (compared to 98 last week), 22 are coded green (compared to 21 last week), and 190 are coded yellow (compared to 166 last week). The remaining 28 towns are coded red (compared to 66 last week): Acushnet, Ashburnham, Blackstone, Brockton, Chicopee, Cohasset, Fall River, Freetown, Haverhill, Lakeville, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Methuen, Middleborough, New Bedford, Peabody, Plymouth, Revere, Rutland, Southampton, Southbridge, Springfield, Taunton, Templeton, West Bridgewater, Westminster, and Weymouth.
1 cities/towns are newly coded red this week (Ashburnham) and 39 cities/towns are no longer coded red this week (Abington, Ayer, Barnstable, Berkley, Bolton, Boxford, Brewster, Bridgewater, Carver, Chatham, Chelsea, Clinton, Dighton, Douglas, Dracut, Gardner, Georgetown, Holyoke, Lancaster, Leominster, Littleton, Ludlow, Marion, North Reading, Orleans, Oxford, Plainville, Raynham, Rockland, Saugus, Seekonk, Somerset, Southwick, Sterling, Sunderland, Swansea, Ware, Westport, and Whitman).
Of the 10 towns near my church, 3 are coded gray (Berlin, Harvard, and Stow), one is coded green (Boxborough), 6 are coded yellow (Acton, Bolton, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, and Sudbury), and none are coded red.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Day-to-day deaths are down, but cases are up slightly; tests are also up slightly, but cases going up faster than tests is never good news. An uptick in the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU also isn't good to see, although an overall decline in hospitalizations certainly is. The big drop in highest-risk towns is good news; it's particularly nice to see that none of the towns near my church are in the red zone any longer.
Is the news good enough to warrant further reducing state-level restrictions? Well, Governor Baker certainly thinks so; not only is he going back to Phase 3 Step 2 on Monday, he's jumping all the way to Phase 4 on March 22:
Considering that the state still can't get enough vaccine to supply the demand for the two million Massachusetts residents at high risk, I really think Baker's jumping the gun a lot with this pullback. The longer-term trends are certainly favorable, and I completely get how desparate he must be to get businesses open again as much as possible - but we're still averaging over eleven hundred new confirmed cases every day. That's the sort of level we were seeing in late October 2020, as the second wave was hitting, and Baker finally got off his butt and started reinstituting restrictions.
Maybe we'll be lucky this time around, and there won't be another surge.
Maybe.
I just really wish Baker wasn't betting so many of our lives on luck.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 24 active and 763 cumulative cases as of February 24. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 1PM on February 19, 2021 reported 744 cumulative cases with 33 individuals in isolation, 680 persons recovered and 31 fatalities.
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,163.0 (6 more than yesterday - up 0.5%), 640% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 82.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.85% (0 less than yesterday - down 2.0%), 140% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on 9/21/2020 and 93% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 926.0 (30 less than yesterday - down 3.1%), 497% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 77% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 35.0 (3 less than yesterday - down 7.9%), 218% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 80% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,280 non-ICU beds, of which 7,365 (79.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 632 (6.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,283 (13.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,439 ICU beds, of which 856 (59.5%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 221 (15.4%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 362 (25.2%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,247 non-ICU beds, of which 7,247 (78.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 656 (7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,344 (14.5%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,447 ICU beds, of which 837 (57.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 219 (15.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 391 (27.0%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,613.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 46.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,420.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.65% (or 4.24% excluding higher education).
Today being Thursday, the state also included city/town specific information in the daily download. My town of Acton is listed as having 759 total cases, with a two-week case count of 45 cases, a daily incidence rate of 13.5 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Acton is also listed as having 34,261 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 2,656 and a two-week positive test count of 51, for a percent-positive rate of 1.92 which is the same than last week. The corresponding statewide figures are 543,696 total cases, with a two-week case count of 22,732 cases, a daily incidence rate of 23.3 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Massachusetts is also listed as having 15,776,531 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 1,232,633 and a two-week positive test count of 26,554, for a percent-positive rate of 2.15 which is lower than last week.
Of the 351 cites and towns in the Commonwealth, 111 are coded gray (compared to 98 last week), 22 are coded green (compared to 21 last week), and 190 are coded yellow (compared to 166 last week). The remaining 28 towns are coded red (compared to 66 last week): Acushnet, Ashburnham, Blackstone, Brockton, Chicopee, Cohasset, Fall River, Freetown, Haverhill, Lakeville, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Methuen, Middleborough, New Bedford, Peabody, Plymouth, Revere, Rutland, Southampton, Southbridge, Springfield, Taunton, Templeton, West Bridgewater, Westminster, and Weymouth.
1 cities/towns are newly coded red this week (Ashburnham) and 39 cities/towns are no longer coded red this week (Abington, Ayer, Barnstable, Berkley, Bolton, Boxford, Brewster, Bridgewater, Carver, Chatham, Chelsea, Clinton, Dighton, Douglas, Dracut, Gardner, Georgetown, Holyoke, Lancaster, Leominster, Littleton, Ludlow, Marion, North Reading, Orleans, Oxford, Plainville, Raynham, Rockland, Saugus, Seekonk, Somerset, Southwick, Sterling, Sunderland, Swansea, Ware, Westport, and Whitman).
Of the 10 towns near my church, 3 are coded gray (Berlin, Harvard, and Stow), one is coded green (Boxborough), 6 are coded yellow (Acton, Bolton, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, and Sudbury), and none are coded red.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Day-to-day deaths are down, but cases are up slightly; tests are also up slightly, but cases going up faster than tests is never good news. An uptick in the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU also isn't good to see, although an overall decline in hospitalizations certainly is. The big drop in highest-risk towns is good news; it's particularly nice to see that none of the towns near my church are in the red zone any longer.
Is the news good enough to warrant further reducing state-level restrictions? Well, Governor Baker certainly thinks so; not only is he going back to Phase 3 Step 2 on Monday, he's jumping all the way to Phase 4 on March 22:
Governor Charlie Baker said Thursday that the state on Monday will move to Phase Three, Step Two of its economic reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"That will allow indoor performance venues and indoor recreational activities to reopen and capacity limits across all sectors will increase to 50 percent," Baker said at a briefing in Salem. "Massachusetts will then move to Step One, Phase Four of [the] reopening plan, effective March 22, as long as the public health data continues to get better."
Step One, Phase Four, Baker said, will permit large arenas like Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium to welcome fans in person at 12 percent capacity.
In a statement, the Baker administration provided additional details on what will happen Monday.
"Indoor performance venues such as concert halls, theaters, and other indoor performance spaces will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity with no more than 500 persons," the statement said. "Indoor recreational activities with greater potential for contact (laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, obstacle courses) will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity."
[ ... ]
"I continue to believe that our biggest problem under any scenario here is we don't have enough supply to meet demand," Baker said. "And we have a lot of folks in Massachusetts who are able to provide vaccinations. We have regional collaboratives, we have provider organizations, we have community health centers, we have mass vaccination sites. Lots and lots of capacity. I would like to have all of that capacity fully deployed all the time. That would be the fastest way to get through all of these phases and to get more people vaccinated. The biggest thing we need to do that is more vaccine."
He also defended the decision to move forward with reopening.
"People had a really good summer for the most part, and when cases started to climb again in the fall, we had to make adjustments based on that," Baker said. "And nobody liked it. It wasn't something that anybody looked forward to. ... We would not be here making this announcement if we didn't think we had seen, for, you know, almost two months now, positive trends on cases and hospitalizations, combined with" over 1 million "first-dose vaccines."
Considering that the state still can't get enough vaccine to supply the demand for the two million Massachusetts residents at high risk, I really think Baker's jumping the gun a lot with this pullback. The longer-term trends are certainly favorable, and I completely get how desparate he must be to get businesses open again as much as possible - but we're still averaging over eleven hundred new confirmed cases every day. That's the sort of level we were seeing in late October 2020, as the second wave was hitting, and Baker finally got off his butt and started reinstituting restrictions.
Maybe we'll be lucky this time around, and there won't be another surge.
Maybe.
I just really wish Baker wasn't betting so many of our lives on luck.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 24 active and 763 cumulative cases as of February 24. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 1PM on February 19, 2021 reported 744 cumulative cases with 33 individuals in isolation, 680 persons recovered and 31 fatalities.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-02-25 11:09 pm (UTC)(I clicked to say "I am in the process of getting my second dose, I don't need one from you, thanks." I should be getting my second does on the 6th.)
Which doesn't solve some of the scheduling problems, but may take some of the pressure off the state sites again.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-02-25 11:39 pm (UTC)OTOH, apparently the Feds are also directly supplying some of the big pharmacy chains - CVS had open slots (briefly) this afternoon, though I wasn't able to get in there either. And the Bedford VA hospital is now offering vaccinations to all vets eligible for VA healthcare; unfortunately, that doesn't help me any, as I'm in what they call Priority Group 8g, aka "no VA healthcare for you, sucker". Sigh.