Marlborough Taken Off Coronavirus High-Risk List

MARLBOROUGH, MA — For the first time since early December, Marlborough is no longer considered a "high-risk" community for coronavirus.

Marlborough was one of more than 40 cities and towns that dropped off the state's list of red high risk communities over the past week. There are now only 66 communities on the list. Cases have been trending down in recent weeks, and on Thursday two important markers — the positive test rate and daily new cases — fell below key thresholds in Marlborough.

As of Thursday, Marlborough's positive test rate was 3.9 percent, and the town was adding about 23 new cases per day per 100,000 people. Compare that to almost a month ago on Jan. 21: Marlborough's positive test rate was 9.19 percent, and new daily cases were at nearly 90 per 100,000.

Marlborough is now listed as a yellow moderate-risk community on the state map.

Marlborough first joined the state's high-risk list in late September. The city fell off the list in November when the state Department of Public Health changed the way it measures coronavirus risk. Marlborough then re-joined the list as a "high-risk" community on Dec. 11.

For the first time in months, all the communities near Marlborough — Southborough, Hudson, Framingham and Northborough — are now shaded yellow on the state's map.

The change in coronavirus trends comes just in time for school reopening. Marlborough students in grades 3, 8 and 12 will return to hybrid learning on Monday. By March 8, students in all grades will be attending school in a hybrid format.