Local COVID-19 updates
Dec. 6th, 2021 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeWhoosh! There go the case counts!
As of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 26 newly reported confirmed deaths (1 less than Friday - down 3.7%) for a total of 19,100 deaths, 11,199 newly reported confirmed cases (6,020 more than Friday - up 116.2%) for a total of 881,828 cases, and 232,083 newly reported molecular tests (102,173 more than Friday - up 78.6%).
Note that today's data covers 3 days. Averaged over that period, there were 8.7 newly reported deaths per day (18 less than Friday - down 67.9%), 3,733.0 newly reported cases per day (1,446 less than Friday - down 27.9%), and 77,361.0 newly reported molecular tests per day (52,549 less than Friday - down 40.5%).
The seven day average positivity rate is 4.53%, compared to 4.74% Friday. The state also reported 1 newly reported probable death (1 more than Friday) for a total of 416 and 420 newly reported probable cases (166 less than Friday - down 28.3%) for a total of 65,635. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 27 new deaths for a total of 19,516 and 11,619 new cases for a total of 947,463. There were 1,118 COVID-19 patients in hospital (115 more than Friday - up 11.5%), 223 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (32 more than Friday - up 16.8%) and 130 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (21 more than Friday - up 19.3%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 3,615.0 (562 more than Friday - up 18.4%), 5,548% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 42.0% below the highest observed value of 6,229.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 4.53% (0 less than Friday - down 4.6%), 1,368% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 84% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 989.0 (103 more than Friday - up 11.6%), 1,063% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 75% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 12.0 (4 less than Friday - down 25.0%), 1,100% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/11/2021 and 94% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,859 non-ICU beds, of which 7,164 (80.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 895 (10.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 800 (9.0%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,253 ICU beds, of which 816 (65.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 223 (17.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 214 (17.1%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported Friday a total of 9,033 non-ICU beds, of which 7,603 (84.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 812 (9%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 618 (6.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported Friday a total of 1,261 ICU beds, of which 885 (70.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 191 (15.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 185 (14.7%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 2,045.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 11.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 647.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 3.07%.
One year ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 3,406.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 36.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,312.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 5.34%.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Of course, today's report (a) covers three days which (b) include the weekend (when reporting gets wonky); so the fact that newly reported cases and deaths average out to be less than Friday's single-day numbers doesn't give me much of a warm fuzzy feeling. In fact, today's 11,199 newly reported confirmed cases was the first time in the entire pandemic that the state reported ten thousand new cases in a single report. We had a big jump in hospitalizations, which is discouraging. The seven-day average for deaths and percent-positive are both down, but those for cases and hospitalizations are both up - and, of course, things are significantly worse than two weeks ago. Comparing the seven-day averages to those on the same date last year, we've got close to the same case rate, but the other averages (percent positive, hospitalizations and deaths) are all a bit lower. Yay vaccinations, I guess.
We're not even a week into December and the state has already seen over twenty six thousand new cases. And, if the virus levels in Boston-area wastewater are any indication, things are only getting worse:
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 68 active and 1,397 cumulative cases as of December 5; over the weekend, the town peaked at 75 active cases on December 3, the most since 79 active cases on December 12, 2020. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 1PM on November 22, 2021 reported 1304 cumulative cases with 54 individuals in isolation, 1218 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.
As of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 26 newly reported confirmed deaths (1 less than Friday - down 3.7%) for a total of 19,100 deaths, 11,199 newly reported confirmed cases (6,020 more than Friday - up 116.2%) for a total of 881,828 cases, and 232,083 newly reported molecular tests (102,173 more than Friday - up 78.6%).
Note that today's data covers 3 days. Averaged over that period, there were 8.7 newly reported deaths per day (18 less than Friday - down 67.9%), 3,733.0 newly reported cases per day (1,446 less than Friday - down 27.9%), and 77,361.0 newly reported molecular tests per day (52,549 less than Friday - down 40.5%).
The seven day average positivity rate is 4.53%, compared to 4.74% Friday. The state also reported 1 newly reported probable death (1 more than Friday) for a total of 416 and 420 newly reported probable cases (166 less than Friday - down 28.3%) for a total of 65,635. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 27 new deaths for a total of 19,516 and 11,619 new cases for a total of 947,463. There were 1,118 COVID-19 patients in hospital (115 more than Friday - up 11.5%), 223 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (32 more than Friday - up 16.8%) and 130 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (21 more than Friday - up 19.3%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 3,615.0 (562 more than Friday - up 18.4%), 5,548% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 42.0% below the highest observed value of 6,229.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 4.53% (0 less than Friday - down 4.6%), 1,368% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 84% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 989.0 (103 more than Friday - up 11.6%), 1,063% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 75% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 12.0 (4 less than Friday - down 25.0%), 1,100% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/11/2021 and 94% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,859 non-ICU beds, of which 7,164 (80.9%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 895 (10.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 800 (9.0%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,253 ICU beds, of which 816 (65.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 223 (17.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 214 (17.1%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported Friday a total of 9,033 non-ICU beds, of which 7,603 (84.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 812 (9%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 618 (6.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported Friday a total of 1,261 ICU beds, of which 885 (70.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 191 (15.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 185 (14.7%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 2,045.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 11.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 647.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 3.07%.
One year ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 3,406.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 36.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,312.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 5.34%.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Of course, today's report (a) covers three days which (b) include the weekend (when reporting gets wonky); so the fact that newly reported cases and deaths average out to be less than Friday's single-day numbers doesn't give me much of a warm fuzzy feeling. In fact, today's 11,199 newly reported confirmed cases was the first time in the entire pandemic that the state reported ten thousand new cases in a single report. We had a big jump in hospitalizations, which is discouraging. The seven-day average for deaths and percent-positive are both down, but those for cases and hospitalizations are both up - and, of course, things are significantly worse than two weeks ago. Comparing the seven-day averages to those on the same date last year, we've got close to the same case rate, but the other averages (percent positive, hospitalizations and deaths) are all a bit lower. Yay vaccinations, I guess.
We're not even a week into December and the state has already seen over twenty six thousand new cases. And, if the virus levels in Boston-area wastewater are any indication, things are only getting worse:
Coronavirus readings in Boston-area wastewater have seen a dramatic rise in recent days, reaching levels not seen since the height of the January surge.
The increase in the wastewater levels continues a trend that began around mid-November, but the tests found that the seven-day averages of virus traces in the wastewater have risen particularly fast over the last week or so.
Levels of coronavirus in wastewater coming from the northern and southern samples of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's territory have both risen substantially, returning to levels last seen in mid-January.
On Dec. 3, the seven-day average of virus traces in the wastewater in the southern sample was 1,391 RNA copies/mL. A week prior, the seven-day average was 580 RNA copies/mL, meaning that the average has more than doubled in the last seven days.
In the northern sample, which includes the Boston area, the seven-day average rose from 630 RNA copies/mL on Nov. 26 to 1,077 RNA copies/mL on Dec. 3.
Wastewater testing serves as something of an early warning sign for a coming COVID-19 surge. Cambridge-based Biobot Analytics, which tests the wastewater coming into MWRA's Deer Island treatment plant, 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.
In the past several weeks, COVID cases in Massachusetts have gone up more than 150 percent and hospitalizations have nearly doubled. The uptick in cases is a reflection of a new wave taking hold across the country as colder weather shifts people indoors and vaccine efficacy wanes. Public health officials in Massachusetts are encouraging residents to remain cautious and get vaccinated.
Over the weekend, officials detected Massachusetts' first case of the Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated Middlesex woman.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 68 active and 1,397 cumulative cases as of December 5; over the weekend, the town peaked at 75 active cases on December 3, the most since 79 active cases on December 12, 2020. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 1PM on November 22, 2021 reported 1304 cumulative cases with 54 individuals in isolation, 1218 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.