Marlborough Coronavirus Cases Rise Again: State DPH

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough remains a red high-risk community for coronavirus spread, and the city has seen a rise in new cases compared to the previous week, according to state data.

Marlborough was seeing 12 new cases per day per 100,000 people over the last 14 days on average as of Wednesday. That's up from the 10 new cases per day reported last Wednesday. Marlborough needs to be below eight cases per day on average to be removed from the high-risk list.

Marlborough now has 61 active cases, and also this week recorded the 70th COVID-19 death.

The coronavirus situation in Massachusetts appears to be getting worse.

The state Department of Public Health added 17 communities to the high-risk list on Wednesday for a statewide total of 40. Positive test rates rose in over half of the state's 351 communities.

The positive test rate over the last two weeks increased in 176— or 50.1 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate fell in 68 — or 19.4 percent — communities and held steady in the remaining 148. The statewide positive test rate was 1.04 percent on Wednesday, higher than the 0.87 percent reported on Sept. 30.

The state this week also moved forward to the next phase of reopening, which includes indoor entertainment venues, arcades and store changing rooms, among others. However, only communities deemed "lower risk" can move to that phase — that means any municipality not colored red on the state's weekly map.