Local COVID-19 updates
Jan. 10th, 2022 06:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 53 newly reported confirmed deaths (2 less than Friday - down 3.6%) for a total of 20,159 deaths, 60,986 newly reported confirmed cases (34,799 more than Friday - up 132.9%) for a total of 1,247,123 cases, and 298,689 newly reported molecular tests (182,445 more than Friday - up 157.0%).
Note that today's case/test data covers 3 days. Averaged over that period, there were 20,328.7 newly reported cases per day (5,858 less than Friday - down 22.4%), and 99,563.0 newly reported molecular tests per day (16,681 less than Friday - down 14.3%).
The seven day average positivity rate is 22.39%, compared to 23.02% Friday. The state also reported 22 newly reported probable deaths (19 more than Friday - up 633.3%) for a total of 484 and 3,729 newly reported probable cases (753 more than Friday - up 25.3%) for a total of 97,520. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 75 new deaths for a total of 20,643 and 64,715 new cases for a total of 1,344,643. There were 2,923 COVID-19 patients in hospital (286 more than Friday - up 10.8%), 432 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (11 more than Friday - up 2.6%) and 273 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (28 more than Friday - up 11.4%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 18,960.0 (5,200 more than Friday - up 37.8%), 29,525% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 7.0% below the highest observed value of 20,385.0 on 1/8/2022. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 22.39% (0 less than Friday - down 2.7%), 7,163% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 19% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 2,593.0 (306 more than Friday - up 13.4%), 2,950% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 34% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 39.0 (2 more than Friday - up 5.4%), 3,800% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/11/2021 and 78% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,734 non-ICU beds, of which 5,576 (63.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 2,491 (28.5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 667 (7.6%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,259 ICU beds, of which 635 (50.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 432 (34.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 192 (15.3%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported Friday a total of 8,841 non-ICU beds, of which 5,992 (67.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 2,216 (25%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 633 (7.2%) remained available. Hospitals also reported Friday a total of 1,263 ICU beds, of which 670 (53.0%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 421 (33.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 172 (13.6%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 5,471.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 24.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,596.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 9.49%.
One year ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 4,755.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 66.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 2,336.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 7.21% (or 8.36% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
60,986 newly reported confirmed cases? That's an attention-grabbing headline case count, and far and away the highest case count reported ever by the state, smashing the previous record (set all of a week ago) of 31,184.
The day-over-day death count actually is down slightly, and how awful is it that fifty-three deaths in one day is actually an improvement? Of course, tomorrow's report will cover three days, and will likely be ugly. Today's case and test counts cover three days, including the weekend; averaged over the three-day span, it's actually noticeably less than Friday's numbers. The hospitalization counts continue their inexorable march upward; today's 2,923 patient census is the highest it's been since May 13, 2020. The seven-day averages are tending mostly higher; the one exception is the percent-positive average, which dropped to a "mere" 22.39%. The deaths average keeps climbing, although not yet to any record levels. The hospitalizations average is up to levels last seen in May 2020, while the cases average (at 18,959.6) is over thirty percent higher than even Friday's reported number.
I haven't tried it out yet, but the Commonwealth did roll out a new proof-of-vaccination website today:
The last couple of website rollouts (the Tableau data visualizer on January 4, 2021 and the vaccination sign-up site on February 18, 2021) were both utter clusterfucks. Let's see if the Baker Administration has learned any lessons...
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 171 active and 2,074 cumulative cases as of January 9. (The town broke the two thousand case mark as of Saturday January 8, with 190 active and 2,044 total cases.) The most recent "newsflash style update" at 7PM on December 21, 2021, the town reported 1538 cumulative cases with 89 individuals in isolation, 1417 recovered and 32 fatalities.
Note that today's case/test data covers 3 days. Averaged over that period, there were 20,328.7 newly reported cases per day (5,858 less than Friday - down 22.4%), and 99,563.0 newly reported molecular tests per day (16,681 less than Friday - down 14.3%).
The seven day average positivity rate is 22.39%, compared to 23.02% Friday. The state also reported 22 newly reported probable deaths (19 more than Friday - up 633.3%) for a total of 484 and 3,729 newly reported probable cases (753 more than Friday - up 25.3%) for a total of 97,520. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 75 new deaths for a total of 20,643 and 64,715 new cases for a total of 1,344,643. There were 2,923 COVID-19 patients in hospital (286 more than Friday - up 10.8%), 432 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (11 more than Friday - up 2.6%) and 273 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (28 more than Friday - up 11.4%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 18,960.0 (5,200 more than Friday - up 37.8%), 29,525% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 7.0% below the highest observed value of 20,385.0 on 1/8/2022. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 22.39% (0 less than Friday - down 2.7%), 7,163% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 19% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 2,593.0 (306 more than Friday - up 13.4%), 2,950% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 34% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 39.0 (2 more than Friday - up 5.4%), 3,800% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/11/2021 and 78% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,734 non-ICU beds, of which 5,576 (63.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 2,491 (28.5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 667 (7.6%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,259 ICU beds, of which 635 (50.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 432 (34.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 192 (15.3%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported Friday a total of 8,841 non-ICU beds, of which 5,992 (67.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 2,216 (25%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 633 (7.2%) remained available. Hospitals also reported Friday a total of 1,263 ICU beds, of which 670 (53.0%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 421 (33.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 172 (13.6%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 5,471.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 24.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,596.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 9.49%.
One year ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 4,755.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 66.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 2,336.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 7.21% (or 8.36% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
60,986 newly reported confirmed cases? That's an attention-grabbing headline case count, and far and away the highest case count reported ever by the state, smashing the previous record (set all of a week ago) of 31,184.
The day-over-day death count actually is down slightly, and how awful is it that fifty-three deaths in one day is actually an improvement? Of course, tomorrow's report will cover three days, and will likely be ugly. Today's case and test counts cover three days, including the weekend; averaged over the three-day span, it's actually noticeably less than Friday's numbers. The hospitalization counts continue their inexorable march upward; today's 2,923 patient census is the highest it's been since May 13, 2020. The seven-day averages are tending mostly higher; the one exception is the percent-positive average, which dropped to a "mere" 22.39%. The deaths average keeps climbing, although not yet to any record levels. The hospitalizations average is up to levels last seen in May 2020, while the cases average (at 18,959.6) is over thirty percent higher than even Friday's reported number.
I haven't tried it out yet, but the Commonwealth did roll out a new proof-of-vaccination website today:
Massachusetts on Monday became the latest state to offer an official digital certificate to show proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19. But the state said it's not a first step toward mandatory "vaccine passports."
While some states have created custom smartphone apps to display a person's vaccination status, Massachusetts is using an Internet site where people can look up the information. The website, called My Vax Records, checks a person's name, phone number, and e-mail address against the vaccination records in the state's public health database.
This data is then displayed in text form and as a QR code, which can be quickly scanned by an establishment or venue using a smartphone equipped with a vaccine verification app. The record only displays the person's name, birthdate, vaccination date, and which vaccines were used. (The QR code includes a digital certificate confirming that the vaccination record was provided by an authoritative source and is not a forgery.)
A user can capture a screenshot of the vaccine record and store it on a smartphone, or print it onto a piece of paper and carry it in a pocket or purse. In addition, the vaccine record can be imported into the Health app of an Apple iPhone. Owners of Apple or Android phones can also download an app called Common Health, made by the Commons Project, a nonprofit group that helped design the Massachusetts system. A user can store a copy of their vaccine record in Common Health, and launch the app to show their vaccination status.
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The system has its limitations. It only captures data stored in the Massachusetts Immunization Information System, so it won't include injections received in other states or countries. In addition, the system uses a person's cell phone number or e-mail address to look up their record, and in some cases that information was not recorded. A state official speaking on background said people should contact their primary-care physician for assistance in getting their state vaccination records updated.
The Massachusetts system uses a technology standard called SMART Health Card that was developed in part at Boston Children's Hospital. SMART has become a de facto US standard for digitally storing COVID vaccination data.
The last couple of website rollouts (the Tableau data visualizer on January 4, 2021 and the vaccination sign-up site on February 18, 2021) were both utter clusterfucks. Let's see if the Baker Administration has learned any lessons...
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 171 active and 2,074 cumulative cases as of January 9. (The town broke the two thousand case mark as of Saturday January 8, with 190 active and 2,044 total cases.) The most recent "newsflash style update" at 7PM on December 21, 2021, the town reported 1538 cumulative cases with 89 individuals in isolation, 1417 recovered and 32 fatalities.