Tewksbury No Longer High Risk After Positive Test Rate Falls

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury fell out of the high-risk category in the latest state town-by-town coronavirus report Thursday.

The town was designated moderate risk, or yellow, in the latest Department of Public Health report, after two months in the red category.

The town's positive test rate over the last two weeks was 4.1 percent, below the 5 percent threshold and down from 5.4 percent last week.

The town had 190 cases in that period, down from 268 last week.

>>MA Town-By-Town Coronavirus Stats: High-Risk List Falls Sharply

Tewksbury was one of dozens of cities and towns that fell out of the high-risk category Thursday, as more than three-quarters of communities reported falling test rates.

The state expanded vaccine eligibility to all people over 75 Monday, although Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday that he was "unhappy" with the rollout, as accessibility was a challenge for many eligible residents.

Restrictions on businesses will be loosened Monday following the dramatic recent decline in virus cases. Many businesses will be allowed to operate at 40 percent capacity, up from 25 percent.

There were 2,602 new confirmed cases and 74 deaths statewide Thursday.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.