Town-By-Town Coronavirus: 77 High-Risk, But Positive Rate Falls

MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts reported a growing number of high-risk communities in the latest town-by-town report Thursday, but statewide metrics including the positive rate fell over the last week.

The Department of Public Health labeled 77 communities as high risk for the coronavirus, up from 55 in the previous report. The risk classifications are based on two weeks of data. The full list of high-risk communities is available at the end of this article.

The seven-day average positive test rate for the state fell to 2.29 percent, from 2.60 percent a week prior. The weekly average case rate and death rate also fell.

The state reported 1,938 coronavirus cases, eight deaths and 92,825 vaccine doses Thursday.

The latest vaccine report shows the number of residents who are fully vaccinated has risen to 1.62 million. Another 1.1 million have received one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.

Of the 5.05 million doses the state has received, 83.2 percent have been administered.

The seven-day average number of hospitalized patients was 719, up from 668 a week prior. There were 176 patients in intensive care.

The positive test rate over the last two weeks fell in 114 — or 32.5 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate rose in 166 — or 47.3 percent — of communities and held steady in the remaining 71. Two-week confirmed case counts rose in 186 communities.

There were 28.1 average daily cases per 100,000 residents of the state over that period, up from 25.6 last week.

To date, there have been 613,763 cases and 17,022 deaths statewide since the pandemic began. Officials estimated there were 35,149 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 rose from 60 to 71.

The state reported 112,416 new tests Thursday, bringing the total to 19.5 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 1,221 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 for communities over 50,000 people and 10 for smaller communities.

High-risk communities: Abington, Adams, Athol, Ayer, Barnstable, Billerica, Blackstone, Brewster, Brockton, Carver, Chatham, Chelmsford, Chicopee, Dennis, Dighton, Dracut, East Longmeadow, Edgartown, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Freetown, Granby, Halifax, Hamilton, Hampden, Hanson, Holyoke, Hopedale, Hull, Lakeville, Lawrence, Littleton, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Mansfield, Mashpee, Methuen, Middleborough, Milford, Monson, Nantucket, New Bedford, Oak Bluffs, Orange, Palmer, Paxton, Peabody, Plainville, Plymouth, Raynham, Rehoboth, Revere, Sandwich, Saugus, Seekonk, Somerset, Southampton, Southborough, Springfield, Sutton, Swansea, Taunton, Tisbury, Tyngsborough, Ware, Wareham, Wenham, West Boylston, West Bridgewater, West Springfield, Westport, Whitman, Williamstown, Winchendon and Yarmouth.