Local COVID-19 updates
Aug. 16th, 2021 05:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 6 newly reported confirmed deaths (5 less than Friday - down 45.5%) for a total of 17,778 deaths, 2,996 newly reported confirmed cases (1,814 more than Friday - up 153.5%) for a total of 689,014 cases, and 117,351 newly reported molecular tests (69,691 more than Friday - up 146.2%).
Note that today's data covers 3 days. Averaged over that period, there were 2.0 newly reported deaths per day (9 less than Friday - down 81.8%), 998.7 newly reported cases per day (183 less than Friday - down 15.5%), and 39,117.0 newly reported molecular tests per day (8,543 less than Friday - down 17.9%).
The seven day average positivity rate is 2.74%, compared to 2.89% Friday. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as Friday) for a total of 370 and 97 newly reported probable cases (19 less than Friday - down 16.4%) for a total of 48,565. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 6 new deaths for a total of 18,148 and 3,093 new cases for a total of 737,579. There were 402 COVID-19 patients in hospital (33 more than Friday - up 8.9%), 82 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (2 more than Friday - up 2.5%) and 38 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (5 more than Friday - up 15.2%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 911.0 (80 more than Friday - up 9.6%), 1,323% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 86.0% below the highest observed value of 6,233.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.74% (0 less than Friday - down 5.1%), 790% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 90% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 362.0 (39 more than Friday - up 12.1%), 325% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 91% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 6.0 (1 more than Friday - up 20.0%), 500% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/12/2021 and 97% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,909 non-ICU beds, of which 7,360 (82.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 320 (3.6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,229 (13.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,327 ICU beds, of which 873 (65.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 82 (6.2%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 372 (28.0%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported Friday a total of 9,146 non-ICU beds, of which 7,956 (87.0%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 289 (3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 901 (9.9%) remained available. Hospitals also reported Friday a total of 1,345 ICU beds, of which 954 (70.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 80 (5.9%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 311 (23.1%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 572.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 3.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 184.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.28%.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Compared to Friday, deaths are down while cases and hospitalizations are up; of course, the deaths and cases numbers cover three days, rather than one, so apples-to-apples comparisons are kind of difficult (and I still haven't decided on the best way to try and make them). Compared to last Monday, though, it's all bad news, with deaths, cases and hospitalizations all up by big percentages. The seven-day average for percent-positive is down a bit from Friday, which is slightly hopeful; however, the seven-day averages for cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all up, which is not.
Every county in Massachusetts, once again, has either "substantial" or "high" levels of community transmission of COVID-19, according to the CDC's COVID Data Tracker; thus mask wearing is recommended for all in indoor public spaces. Governor Charlie Baker, on the other hand, has no plans to change the current state guidance (which, for schools in particular, is much weaker):
Meanwhile, the folks tracking virus levels in Greater Boston's wastewater are seeing another surge coming, with viral counts near the levels of late January:
So schools are going to be opening in a couple of weeks, little kids can't get vaccinated, the Governor refuses anything even vaguely resembling a mask mandate, and we've got widespread and growing case counts statewide. Oh, joy.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 7 active and 1,024 cumulative cases as of August 15. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 11:45AM on May 28, 2021 reported 978 cumulative cases with 3 individuals in isolation, 943 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.
Note that today's data covers 3 days. Averaged over that period, there were 2.0 newly reported deaths per day (9 less than Friday - down 81.8%), 998.7 newly reported cases per day (183 less than Friday - down 15.5%), and 39,117.0 newly reported molecular tests per day (8,543 less than Friday - down 17.9%).
The seven day average positivity rate is 2.74%, compared to 2.89% Friday. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as Friday) for a total of 370 and 97 newly reported probable cases (19 less than Friday - down 16.4%) for a total of 48,565. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 6 new deaths for a total of 18,148 and 3,093 new cases for a total of 737,579. There were 402 COVID-19 patients in hospital (33 more than Friday - up 8.9%), 82 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (2 more than Friday - up 2.5%) and 38 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (5 more than Friday - up 15.2%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 911.0 (80 more than Friday - up 9.6%), 1,323% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 86.0% below the highest observed value of 6,233.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.74% (0 less than Friday - down 5.1%), 790% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 90% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 362.0 (39 more than Friday - up 12.1%), 325% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 91% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 6.0 (1 more than Friday - up 20.0%), 500% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/12/2021 and 97% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,909 non-ICU beds, of which 7,360 (82.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 320 (3.6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,229 (13.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,327 ICU beds, of which 873 (65.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 82 (6.2%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 372 (28.0%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported Friday a total of 9,146 non-ICU beds, of which 7,956 (87.0%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 289 (3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 901 (9.9%) remained available. Hospitals also reported Friday a total of 1,345 ICU beds, of which 954 (70.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 80 (5.9%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 311 (23.1%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 572.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 3.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 184.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.28%.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Compared to Friday, deaths are down while cases and hospitalizations are up; of course, the deaths and cases numbers cover three days, rather than one, so apples-to-apples comparisons are kind of difficult (and I still haven't decided on the best way to try and make them). Compared to last Monday, though, it's all bad news, with deaths, cases and hospitalizations all up by big percentages. The seven-day average for percent-positive is down a bit from Friday, which is slightly hopeful; however, the seven-day averages for cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all up, which is not.
Every county in Massachusetts, once again, has either "substantial" or "high" levels of community transmission of COVID-19, according to the CDC's COVID Data Tracker; thus mask wearing is recommended for all in indoor public spaces. Governor Charlie Baker, on the other hand, has no plans to change the current state guidance (which, for schools in particular, is much weaker):
Governor Charlie Baker said Monday that he has no plans to alter the statewide mask guidance, as K-12 students prepare to return to classrooms this fall amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'm not considering changing the mask guidance ... at this time," Baker said during an unrelated briefing in Peabody.
He said state officials pay close attention to data surrounding case counts, hospitalizations, and deaths from the virus in shaping policy on pandemic response. The hospitalization rate in Massachusetts, where vaccination rates are comparatively high, remains below the rest of the country, Baker said.
"I hope and pray that many other states move as aggressively as the people in Massachusetts have moved to get a vaccine," Baker said. "Vaccinations are the pathway out of this pandemic, period. ... We're going to run hundreds of vaccination clinics in conjunction with our colleagues in the K-12 world between now and the start of school. We expect that will continue to boost our numbers among the kids between the ages of 12 and 19, where again we are a national leader."
He said there's also a strategy in place for elementary school grades, where kids aren't yet eligible to get vaccinated.
"We've made a very strong recommendation to our colleagues in K-6 education, that because there is not a vaccine currently available for that population ... that those kids we believe should be masked up until they have the opportunity to get vaccinated," Baker said. "And our recommendation for the kids in middle and high school, is that if you're not vaccinated, you should wear a mask. If you are vaccinated, you don't need to."
Late last month, the state released recommendations that unvaccinated students, teachers, and other school staff members should wear masks indoors, despite federal recommendations that everyone wear masks regardless of vaccination status.
Meanwhile, the folks tracking virus levels in Greater Boston's wastewater are seeing another surge coming, with viral counts near the levels of late January:
In worrisome news for residents on edge about the supercontagious Delta variant, the amount of coronavirus in Boston area waste water is on the rise again, a possible signal of case increases ahead.
Levels of coronavirus in the waste water coming from the northern section of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which includes Boston, are now similar to those in late January. Levels from the southern section have reached levels similar to April. The numbers reflect tests taken as recently as Friday.
The pilot program tests for SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies per milliliter of waste water at the MWRA's Deer Island treatment plant. Officials think the tests can serve as an early warning system for surges in cases. Cambridge-based Biobot Analytics, which conducts the tests, says it has found that the amount of virus in the waste water is correlated with newly diagnosed coronavirus cases four to 10 days later.
Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital, said Sunday in a tweet about the MWRA data, "Not liking this trajectory (which often predicts what's coming in weeks ahead) one bit. But better to be prepared than live in ignorance."
So schools are going to be opening in a couple of weeks, little kids can't get vaccinated, the Governor refuses anything even vaguely resembling a mask mandate, and we've got widespread and growing case counts statewide. Oh, joy.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 7 active and 1,024 cumulative cases as of August 15. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 11:45AM on May 28, 2021 reported 978 cumulative cases with 3 individuals in isolation, 943 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.