MA Town-By-Town Coronavirus Stats: Just 28 High-Risk Communities

MASSACHUSETTS — The number of cities and towns designated high risk for the coronavirus fell by more than half in Thursday's town-by-town state data report, the latest in the dramatic decline of the virus in recent weeks.

The seven-day average positive test rate for the state fell to 1.85 percent, the lowest level since October. Statewide case counts, hospitalizations and deaths also all fell.

A total of 1,928 new cases and 33 deaths were reported Thursday.

The seven-day average of hospitalized patients was 926, down from 1,141 a week prior. There were 221 patients in intensive care.

Last week, the town-by-town report labeled 66 communities at high risk for the virus. This week, there were only 28 such communities. See the full list at the bottom of this story.

The positive test rate over the last two weeks fell in 249 — or 70.9 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate rose in 52 — or 14.8 percent — of communities and held steady in the remaining 50. Two-week confirmed case counts rose in just 46 communities.

There were 23.3 average daily cases per 100,000 residents of the state over that period, down from 3o last week.

To date, there have been 545,624 cases and 15,657 deaths statewide since the pandemic began. Officials estimated that there were 32,117 active cases as of Thursday.

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Health officials say positive coronavirus test results need to stay below 5 percent for two weeks or longer and, preferably, be closer to 2 percent, for states to safely ease restrictions. The number of communities reporting rates above 5 percent fell to 23, down from 62 last week.

The highest rate was reported by Buckland, where 11.8 percent of tests came back positive. Over 140 cities and towns reported test rates below 2 percent.

The state reported 118,144 new tests Thursday, bringing the total to 15.9 million.

The data includes coronavirus cases for all Massachusetts communities, except for those with populations under 50,000 and fewer than five cases. The department said the stipulation was designed to protect the privacy of patients in those towns and cities.

The state releases town-by-town testing data every Thursday, including the number of people tested, the testing rate, the positive test rate, cases and infection rates.

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How to use this map: Zoom in on the map below and click on a pin to see that community's coronavirus case data. You can also view the town-by-town coronavirus data in the spreadsheet we used to create this map.

The map does not include 1,484 of the state's cases because state health officials could not determine which communities the patients lived in.

Pin colors correspond to the state's risk designations. Red pins are high-risk, or red, communities. Yellow pins are medium risk, green pins low risk and grey pins at most 15 total cases.

High-risk communities: Acushnet, Ashburnham, Blackstone, Brockton, Chicopee, Cohasset, Fall River, Freetown, Haverhill, Lakeville, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Methuen, Middleborough, New Bedford, Peabody, Plymouth, Revere, Rutland, Southampton, Southbridge, Springfield, Taunton, Templeton, West Bridgewater, Westminster, Weymouth.