Local COVID-19 updates
Mar. 11th, 2021 05:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 42 newly reported confirmed deaths (11 less than yesterday - down 20.8%) for a total of 16,218 deaths, 1,589 newly reported confirmed cases (176 more than yesterday - up 12.5%) for a total of 563,983 cases, and 110,385 newly reported molecular tests (16,585 more than yesterday - up 17.7%). The seven day average positivity rate is 1.72%, compared to 1.77% yesterday. Excluding higher education, the seven day average positivity rate is 2.98%, compared to 3.01% yesterday. The number of estimated active cases was 25,901 (234 less than yesterday - down 0.9%). The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as yesterday) for a total of 333 and 220 newly reported probable cases (24 less than yesterday - down 9.8%) for a total of 33,090. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 42 new deaths for a total of 16,551 and 1,809 new cases for a total of 597,073. There were 680 COVID-19 patients in hospital (9 less than yesterday - down 1.3%), 176 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (7 less than yesterday - down 3.8%) and 122 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (1 more than yesterday - up 0.8%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,006.0 (4 more than yesterday - up 0.4%), 540% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 84.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.72% (0 less than yesterday - down 3.0%), 123% 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 694.0 (10 less than yesterday - down 1.4%), 347% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 83% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 32.0 (2 more than yesterday - up 6.7%), 190% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 82% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,194 non-ICU beds, of which 7,289 (79.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 504 (5.5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,401 (15.2%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,419 ICU beds, of which 875 (61.7%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 176 (12.4%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 368 (25.9%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,135 non-ICU beds, of which 7,130 (78.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 506 (6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,499 (16.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,425 ICU beds, of which 863 (60.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 183 (12.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 379 (26.6%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,163.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 35.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 926.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 1.85% (or 3.06% 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 787 total cases, with a two-week case count of 34 cases, a daily incidence rate of 10.2 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Acton is also listed as having 36,579 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 2,278 and a two-week positive test count of 39, for a percent-positive rate of 1.71 which is lower than last week. The corresponding statewide figures are 562,394 total cases, with a two-week case count of 19,791 cases, a daily incidence rate of 20.3 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Massachusetts is also listed as having 17,019,491 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 1,245,674 and a two-week positive test count of 22,843, for a percent-positive rate of 1.83 which is lower than last week.
Of the 351 cites and towns in the Commonwealth, 121 are coded gray (compared to 114 last week), 35 are coded green (compared to 39 last week), and 181 are coded yellow (compared to 179 last week). The remaining 14 towns are coded red (compared to 19 last week): Blackstone, Chicopee, Douglas, Fall River, Freetown, Lawrence, Ludlow, Plainville, Revere, Springfield, Sterling, Sutton, Westminster, and Weymouth.
3 cities/towns are newly coded red this week (Douglas, Revere, and Westminster) and 8 cities/towns are no longer coded red this week (Clinton, Hadley, Haverhill, Lynn, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, and West Bridgewater).
Of the 10 towns near my church, 3 are coded gray (Berlin, Boxborough, and Harvard), 3 are coded green (Bolton, Maynard, and Stow), 4 are coded yellow (Acton, Hudson, Marlborough, and Sudbury), and none are coded red.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Day-to-day, an uptick in cases, but downticks in deaths, hospitalizations and percent-positive. The seven-day averages continue to be better than two weeks ago, but not by too terribly much. We do continue to see progress in the number of highest-risk cities and towns, with only a total of 14 this week; alas, my own town of Acton continues to be stubbornly stuck in the yellow "moderate risk" category, as does the state as a whole.
Today, the state added 40,000 vaccination appointments to its mass-vaccination sites - and they were all snapped up before noon:
Governor Baker can blame the feds all he wants for inadequate supplies. And I will absolutely give him credit for putting the folks in congregate living at the head of the list, given how incredibly vulnerable those populations have turned out to be. But he's prioritized efficiency (with the old signup software and mass vaccination sites) over equity, and he shouldn't be surprised for a moment that folks who can't get through the clunky signup systems are pissed off.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 14 active and 794 cumulative cases as of March 10. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 10PM on March 10, 2021 reported 791 cumulative cases with 18 individuals in isolation, 741 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 1,006.0 (4 more than yesterday - up 0.4%), 540% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 84.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.72% (0 less than yesterday - down 3.0%), 123% 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 694.0 (10 less than yesterday - down 1.4%), 347% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 83% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 32.0 (2 more than yesterday - up 6.7%), 190% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 82% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,194 non-ICU beds, of which 7,289 (79.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 504 (5.5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,401 (15.2%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,419 ICU beds, of which 875 (61.7%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 176 (12.4%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 368 (25.9%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,135 non-ICU beds, of which 7,130 (78.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 506 (6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,499 (16.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,425 ICU beds, of which 863 (60.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 183 (12.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 379 (26.6%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,163.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 35.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 926.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 1.85% (or 3.06% 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 787 total cases, with a two-week case count of 34 cases, a daily incidence rate of 10.2 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Acton is also listed as having 36,579 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 2,278 and a two-week positive test count of 39, for a percent-positive rate of 1.71 which is lower than last week. The corresponding statewide figures are 562,394 total cases, with a two-week case count of 19,791 cases, a daily incidence rate of 20.3 which is lower than last week, and a risk color code of yellow. Massachusetts is also listed as having 17,019,491 total tests, with a two-week total test count of 1,245,674 and a two-week positive test count of 22,843, for a percent-positive rate of 1.83 which is lower than last week.
Of the 351 cites and towns in the Commonwealth, 121 are coded gray (compared to 114 last week), 35 are coded green (compared to 39 last week), and 181 are coded yellow (compared to 179 last week). The remaining 14 towns are coded red (compared to 19 last week): Blackstone, Chicopee, Douglas, Fall River, Freetown, Lawrence, Ludlow, Plainville, Revere, Springfield, Sterling, Sutton, Westminster, and Weymouth.
3 cities/towns are newly coded red this week (Douglas, Revere, and Westminster) and 8 cities/towns are no longer coded red this week (Clinton, Hadley, Haverhill, Lynn, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, and West Bridgewater).
Of the 10 towns near my church, 3 are coded gray (Berlin, Boxborough, and Harvard), 3 are coded green (Bolton, Maynard, and Stow), 4 are coded yellow (Acton, Hudson, Marlborough, and Sudbury), and none are coded red.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Day-to-day, an uptick in cases, but downticks in deaths, hospitalizations and percent-positive. The seven-day averages continue to be better than two weeks ago, but not by too terribly much. We do continue to see progress in the number of highest-risk cities and towns, with only a total of 14 this week; alas, my own town of Acton continues to be stubbornly stuck in the yellow "moderate risk" category, as does the state as a whole.
Today, the state added 40,000 vaccination appointments to its mass-vaccination sites - and they were all snapped up before noon:
Some 40,000 new COVID-19 vaccine appointments were snatched up in a matter of hours in Massachusetts on Thursday, the same day the state's teachers and other educators became eligible to get vaccinated.
"Due to high demand and a very limited vaccine supply from the federal government, all 40,000 first-dose appointments at mass vaccination locations for next week have been booked," the state tweeted shortly before 11:30 a.m. Thursday from its official mass.gov account, roughly three hours after the state's Vaxfinder website opened for reserving appointments.
Governor Charlie Baker elaborated during an afternoon briefing at a vaccination site in Roxbury.
He told reporters the 40,000 appointments "were booked quickly, and the website worked the way it was supposed to. ... Tomorrow we launch a new pre-registration system for the state's seven mass vaccination sites," and more sites are expected to be added to the system in April.
[ ... ]
Baker said officials "also said we wanted to make it clear that equity will be an important focus for how we move forward. And if you think about many of the groups that we focused on ... it's pretty clear that we took that idea seriously. There are very few states that chose to vaccinate straight out of the gate residents and staff at congregate care facilities that serve homeless people, folks with developmental disabilities, or folks with mental health issues."
[ ... ]
Earlier in the day, users logging on to the state website were being directed to so-called digital waiting rooms to book appointments at the mass vaccination sites, with wait times ranging from around 40 minutes to more than an hour as thousands of people competed for the limited slots.
"I was online with many educators scoping out the chance to get vaccines early this morning," said Beth Kontos, president of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, in an e-mail Thursday. "The worst part is that people [are] in a queue that didn't open until 8:30am. Educators are working at that time! ... And of course, there were more than 90k people in front of us."
Governor Baker can blame the feds all he wants for inadequate supplies. And I will absolutely give him credit for putting the folks in congregate living at the head of the list, given how incredibly vulnerable those populations have turned out to be. But he's prioritized efficiency (with the old signup software and mass vaccination sites) over equity, and he shouldn't be surprised for a moment that folks who can't get through the clunky signup systems are pissed off.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 14 active and 794 cumulative cases as of March 10. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 10PM on March 10, 2021 reported 791 cumulative cases with 18 individuals in isolation, 741 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.