Local COVID-19 updates
Mar. 1st, 2021 05:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 26 newly reported confirmed deaths (26 less than yesterday - down 50.0%) for a total of 15,822 deaths, 1,248 newly reported confirmed cases (180 less than yesterday - down 12.6%) for a total of 551,550 cases, and 53,839 newly reported molecular tests (48,732 less than yesterday - down 47.5%). The seven day average positivity rate is 1.77%, compared to 1.73% yesterday. Excluding higher education, the seven day average positivity rate is 2.91%, compared to 2.88% yesterday. The number of estimated active cases was 30,486 (424 more than yesterday - up 1.4%). The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as yesterday) for a total of 322 and 147 newly reported probable cases (107 more than yesterday - up 267.5%) for a total of 30,993. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 26 new deaths for a total of 16,144 and 1,395 new cases for a total of 582,543. There were 788 COVID-19 patients in hospital (28 more than yesterday - up 3.7%), 184 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (1 more than yesterday - up 0.5%) and 119 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (5 less than yesterday - down 4.0%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,280.0 (48 more than yesterday - up 3.9%), 715% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 80.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.77% (0 more than yesterday - up 2.7%), 130% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on 9/21/2020 and 94% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 829.0 (18 less than yesterday - down 2.1%), 434% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 79% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 36.0 (1 less than yesterday - down 2.7%), 227% 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 9,094 non-ICU beds, of which 6,875 (75.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 604 (6.6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,615 (17.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,414 ICU beds, of which 828 (58.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 184 (13.0%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 402 (28.4%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,240 non-ICU beds, of which 7,105 (76.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 577 (6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,558 (16.9%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,428 ICU beds, of which 856 (59.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 183 (12.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 389 (27.2%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,579.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 44.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,258.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.19% (or 3.52% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Day-to-day changes look great at first glance - deaths and cases both down - but tests were way down, which makes the drop in cases look like weekend reporting effects rather than improvements overall. Day-to-day upticks in hospitalization and the seven-day averages for cases and percent-positive also aren't what I'd call great news.
Not that that's going to deter Charlie Baker from his grand reopening plans:
... even though public health experts say it's a big mistake:
Me? I get how desperate many businesses are, but the absolute last damn thing we need is yet another surge in cases and deaths. I'd take the advice of Doctor Fauci and Doctor Walensky on this one.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 22 active and 769 cumulative cases as of February 28. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 5PM on February 26, 2021 reported 766 cumulative cases with 27 individuals in isolation, 707 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,280.0 (48 more than yesterday - up 3.9%), 715% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 80.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.77% (0 more than yesterday - up 2.7%), 130% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on 9/21/2020 and 94% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 829.0 (18 less than yesterday - down 2.1%), 434% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 79% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 36.0 (1 less than yesterday - down 2.7%), 227% 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 9,094 non-ICU beds, of which 6,875 (75.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 604 (6.6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,615 (17.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,414 ICU beds, of which 828 (58.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 184 (13.0%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 402 (28.4%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,240 non-ICU beds, of which 7,105 (76.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 577 (6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,558 (16.9%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,428 ICU beds, of which 856 (59.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 183 (12.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 389 (27.2%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,579.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 44.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,258.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.19% (or 3.52% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Day-to-day changes look great at first glance - deaths and cases both down - but tests were way down, which makes the drop in cases look like weekend reporting effects rather than improvements overall. Day-to-day upticks in hospitalization and the seven-day averages for cases and percent-positive also aren't what I'd call great news.
Not that that's going to deter Charlie Baker from his grand reopening plans:
Governor Charlie Baker said Monday that the state is working to ensure communities of color and seniors in vulnerable areas have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, and he defended his decision to loosen some pandemic-related restrictions on businesses.
[ ... ]
Baker insisted the decision to ease certain restrictions was guided by the latest public health data.
"At this point in time, with 1.2 million people in Massachusetts, many of whom are among our most vulnerable citizens and residents, having received their first dose, and 550,000 of those most vulnerable residents having received both doses, and having seen a drop in hospitalizations, positive case counts, and daily case rates generally that have all gone down over the course of the past two months by somewhere between 60 and 80 percent, depending upon which measure you're talking about, we felt, based on that data, and the success of the vaccine rollout so far, that it was appropriate to make some adjustments," Baker said.
... even though public health experts say it's a big mistake:
As Governor Charlie Baker eases more pandemic restrictions on restaurants and other businesses starting Monday, public health experts warn that the moves could backfire, upending the state's progress against COVID-19 and risking a new surge in cases.
"I'd say, 'Charlie, you're making a big mistake,'" said Dr. Robert Horsburgh, a Boston University professor of epidemiology. "Opening up these restaurants is going to prolong the epidemic, and increase the number of Massachusetts residents that die."
Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have both cautioned that states rolling back health measures now could face a resurgence of the virus.
And local epidemiologists echoed those warnings over the weekend, saying that easing the way for people to gather indoors now could reverse the progress the state has made against the coronavirus.
[ ... ]
But Samuel Scarpino, an epidemiologist at Northeastern University, said Baker is not paying attention to other indicators that show Massachusetts is doing poorly compared to many states, including death rates due to COVID-19 and vaccine rollouts.
"The experts are saying it's too soon to reopen," Scarpino said. "And the response from the governor is, 'Let's fill the baseball stadiums.' It's just mind-boggling."
Baker's move to help businesses also contradicts guidance offered last week by Walensky, who is still a member of the state's economic Reopening Advisory Board, which advises the governor.
Walensky, who previously led Massachusetts General Hospital's Division of Infectious Diseases, warned on Friday against easing public health restrictions too soon and pointed to the threat posed by newer, more easily spread COVID-19 variants.
"It's important to remember where we are in the pandemic. Things are tenuous," Walensky said. "Now is not the time to relax restrictions."
Me? I get how desperate many businesses are, but the absolute last damn thing we need is yet another surge in cases and deaths. I'd take the advice of Doctor Fauci and Doctor Walensky on this one.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 22 active and 769 cumulative cases as of February 28. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 5PM on February 26, 2021 reported 766 cumulative cases with 27 individuals in isolation, 707 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.