17 Communities At High Risk For COVID, A New High For MA

MASSACHUSETTS — Six new communities were in the red in the state's latest coronavirus map, upping the number of communities at high risk for COVID-19 infections to 17.

Nantucket, Plainville, Saugus, Tyngsborough, Worcester and Wrentham were moved into the high-risk category, joining Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Monson, New Bedford, Revere and Winthrop.

Chatham improved from red to gray and Methuen from red to yellow.

"I think that the psychology of this is that people all over the country are becoming COVID-19 fatigued," Saugus Town Manager Scott Crabtree told NBC 10. "I think people are letting their guard down. I keep reminding people that nothing's changed from the virus six months ago. We're in desperate need of a vaccination."

Chelsea still has the state's highest daily incidence rate with nearly 23 positive cases per 100,000 residents. After that was Nantucket at nearly 19 positive cases per 100,000 residents; a third of the island's total cases since the start of the pandemic came last week.

Revere, Lawrence and Lynn all had over 15 cases per 100,000 residents.

Related: State Releases Town-By-Town Data For Each Community

Communities shaded red in the map have seen more than eight confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week span. Communities shaded yellow have between four and eight cases per 100,000 residents and are considered at moderate risk; communities shaded green have fewer than four cases per 100,000 residents; and communities shaded gray have fewer than five cases confirmed over the two-week span.