Local COVID-19 updates
Mar. 22nd, 2021 06:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 27 newly reported confirmed deaths (6 less than yesterday - down 18.2%) for a total of 16,558 deaths, 1,103 newly reported confirmed cases (575 less than yesterday - down 34.3%) for a total of 580,683 cases, and 36,869 newly reported molecular tests (39,957 less than yesterday - down 52.0%). The seven day average positivity rate is 2.00%, compared to 1.95% yesterday. Excluding higher education, the seven day average positivity rate is 3.43%, compared to 3.38% yesterday. The number of estimated active cases was 27,341 (228 more than yesterday - up 0.8%). The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (2 less than yesterday) for a total of 336 and 103 newly reported probable cases (30 less than yesterday - down 22.6%) for a total of 35,191. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 27 new deaths for a total of 16,894 and 1,206 new cases for a total of 615,874. There were 603 COVID-19 patients in hospital (23 more than yesterday - up 4.0%), 145 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (1 more than yesterday - up 0.7%) and 88 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (same as yesterday).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,354.0 (35 more than yesterday - up 2.7%), 762% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 79.0% below the highest observed value of 6,240.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.00% (0 more than yesterday - up 2.4%), 159% 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 601.0 (5 less than yesterday - down 0.8%), 287% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 85% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 27.0 (1 less than yesterday - down 3.6%), 145% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 85% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,027 non-ICU beds, of which 6,909 (76.5%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 458 (5.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,660 (18.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,401 ICU beds, of which 821 (58.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 145 (10.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 435 (31.0%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,119 non-ICU beds, of which 7,211 (79.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 436 (5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,472 (16.1%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,402 ICU beds, of which 870 (62.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 144 (10.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 388 (27.7%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,118.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 32.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 725.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 1.67% (or 2.82% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
The day-to-day comparison shows fewer newly reported confirmed deaths and cases, which is great - but a much bigger percentage drop in newly reported tests, which is not. That case count drop almost certainly is due to weekend reporting delays. Estimated active caseload continues to climb, and the hospitalization counts are up slightly; neither of these are great news. The seven-day averages for cases and positivity are both up compared to yesterday, and they're also both up compared to two weeks ago - not to mention being way up compared to last summer. Oh, and the state still has a seven-day daily incidence rate over twenty-five according to https://www.covidactnow.org, which puts us in their "very high risk" category.
So, of course, Governor Charlie Baker rolled back state-level restrictions today, supposedly because things are getting better?
Y'know, Governor, you were adding restrictions back in November when cases were running around these levels and going up. Not removing them.
Stay cautious, folks. Because our Governor apparently thinks that opening Fenway Park and TD Garden for sportsball games is "consistent with the public health data" of rising case counts and test positivity rates.
Also worth noting: the state has gotten rid of the travel order issued last summer and replaced it with a travel advisory. The biggest point is, of course, that it's entirely advisory (the older order had a $500 fine for violations, although I don't recall hearing about anyone actually being fined anything). Exceptions to the testing/quarantine "suggestions" were added for anyone who was out of the state for less than 24 hours, and anyone from out of state spending less than 24 hours in-state. The state removed the previous exception for folks traveling from "lower-risk states" (most recently defined as those with a daily incidence rate of ten cases or fewer per 100k population, plus a test positivity rate of five percent or less); considering how much worse Massachusetts is currently doing compared to most of the rest of the country, that only surprises me a little bit.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 13 active and 817 cumulative cases as of March 21. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 2PM on March 19, 2021 reported 813 cumulative cases with 9 individuals in isolation, 772 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 1,354.0 (35 more than yesterday - up 2.7%), 762% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 79.0% below the highest observed value of 6,240.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.00% (0 more than yesterday - up 2.4%), 159% 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 601.0 (5 less than yesterday - down 0.8%), 287% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 85% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 27.0 (1 less than yesterday - down 3.6%), 145% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 85% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,027 non-ICU beds, of which 6,909 (76.5%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 458 (5.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,660 (18.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,401 ICU beds, of which 821 (58.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 145 (10.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 435 (31.0%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,119 non-ICU beds, of which 7,211 (79.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 436 (5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,472 (16.1%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,402 ICU beds, of which 870 (62.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 144 (10.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 388 (27.7%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,118.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 32.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 725.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 1.67% (or 2.82% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
The day-to-day comparison shows fewer newly reported confirmed deaths and cases, which is great - but a much bigger percentage drop in newly reported tests, which is not. That case count drop almost certainly is due to weekend reporting delays. Estimated active caseload continues to climb, and the hospitalization counts are up slightly; neither of these are great news. The seven-day averages for cases and positivity are both up compared to yesterday, and they're also both up compared to two weeks ago - not to mention being way up compared to last summer. Oh, and the state still has a seven-day daily incidence rate over twenty-five according to https://www.covidactnow.org, which puts us in their "very high risk" category.
So, of course, Governor Charlie Baker rolled back state-level restrictions today, supposedly because things are getting better?
Massachusetts took a major step forward Monday in its battle with COVID-19, making more than 800,000 new people eligible for vaccines and easing more restrictions on businesses and public gatherings.
The state, which has now moved to Phase 4, Step 1 of its economic reopening plan, also downgraded its longstanding travel order to an advisory and is launching a new mass vaccination site later this morning.
Governor Charlie Baker defended his decision to further reopen the state on Friday in the wake of a coalition of public health officials issuing an open letter to Baker urging him to delay increasing indoor capacity limits at certain businesses.
"We pay a ton of attention to the data. I mean, that stuff is critically important as we make decisions," Baker said on WBUR's "Morning Edition." "And I would just say that some of the changes that we've made are, I would argue, consistent with the public health data."
Baker reiterated his trust in the state's reopening plan — which includes the easing of limits on public gatherings — in a WBZ-TV "Keller @ Large" interview on Sunday.
"When we reopened in the spring, we did not see a significant surge in cases, and hospitalizations continued to decline until the second surge, which most people had predicted would happen in the fall," Baker said. "And I expect that trend will continue here."
[ ... ]
The Baker administration recently launched a preregistration system enabling Massachusetts residents to sign up to be alerted when they can book an appointment at one of the state's mass vaccination sites. Only when residents are eligible to be vaccinated will they be notified.
Residents also can use vaxFinder.mass.gov to search for and book appointments at pharmacies, health care providers, and other community locations.
But with the state weeks away from widespread eligibility for any adult who wants to get vaccinated, a growing number of coronavirus variants taking hold, and the disease stubbornly remaining in Massachusetts, public health officials are urging caution when it comes to reopening.
Those including Dr. Rochelle Walensky of the US Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, have recently warned states about the effects of restrictions being relaxed too quickly before enough people have been inoculated.
Baker said on Sunday he was not disregarding the guidance from Walensky and other experts, but that their advice is incorporated into the decisions made by his administration on a day-to-day basis.
"I would argue that many of the changes we made in March were modest; they basically took us back to where we were at a point last fall," Baker told WBZ-TV.
Y'know, Governor, you were adding restrictions back in November when cases were running around these levels and going up. Not removing them.
Stay cautious, folks. Because our Governor apparently thinks that opening Fenway Park and TD Garden for sportsball games is "consistent with the public health data" of rising case counts and test positivity rates.
Also worth noting: the state has gotten rid of the travel order issued last summer and replaced it with a travel advisory. The biggest point is, of course, that it's entirely advisory (the older order had a $500 fine for violations, although I don't recall hearing about anyone actually being fined anything). Exceptions to the testing/quarantine "suggestions" were added for anyone who was out of the state for less than 24 hours, and anyone from out of state spending less than 24 hours in-state. The state removed the previous exception for folks traveling from "lower-risk states" (most recently defined as those with a daily incidence rate of ten cases or fewer per 100k population, plus a test positivity rate of five percent or less); considering how much worse Massachusetts is currently doing compared to most of the rest of the country, that only surprises me a little bit.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 13 active and 817 cumulative cases as of March 21. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 2PM on March 19, 2021 reported 813 cumulative cases with 9 individuals in isolation, 772 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.