Marlborough Sees Small Coronavirus Dip, But Active Cases Up

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough's latest coronavirus update is a mixed bag.

The number of new daily cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks dropped to 18.1 on Monday compared to 18.9 on Friday. Monday marked the third straight reported decline in daily new cases — although Marlborough would have to fall below 8 new cases per day to come off the state's high-risk list.

But the number of active cases in Marlborough rose from 61 on Oct. 16 to 64 on Monday, according to health data. That number has been fluctuating throughout the month, from a low of 50 on Oct. 5 to a high of 80 on Oct. 12.

Marlborough also reported a new COVID-19 death on Monday, bringing the pandemic total to 62.

There's also a continuing trend of new cases in younger age groups. About 40 percent of active cases — 26 out of the total 64 — were in people under age 29. There were 17 active cases in people age 5 to 19, the biggest share of any age group.

Marlborough Public Schools switched to all-remote learning on Monday. Ten Marlborough students and two staff members had tested positive for the virus recently, the highest of any school district in the state, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Here's a look at how cases have changed so far in October: