Waltham Coronavirus Still High Risk

WALTHAM, MA — The number of people with the coronavirus is continuing to trend upward in Waltham as it is across the rest of Massachusetts. And health officials are warning residents to keep distancing, washing hands even though they may be tired of it.

As of Nov. 12, some 1,903 people have tested positive for the virus in Waltham. Of these, 79 people have died. The number of fatalities has stayed steady for weeks, even as the number of people who have tested positive has continued to rise.

But Waltham has had 18 people test positive per 100,000 people for the past two weeks, trending higher than the last state weekly report.

Waltham Director of Public Health said recently she understands that people are tired of the virus.

"It's pandemic fatigue," she said. "But it's still here. It's still real. I just hope everyone really listens and wears the mask. Wash your hands, physical distance, if you are sick stay home. We just want the message out."

The state's new metrics dubs Waltham among communities that are "not lower risk," after the city was considered high-risk town for five weeks of state reporting. Based on the most recent Department of Public Health data, Waltham is among the communities that are in Step 1 of the Phase III reopening plan.

In an effort to help mitigate the spread of the virus, and encourage more communities out of the high risk category, Gov. Charlie Baker announced new restrictions, including wearing a mask whenever you leave your home, regardless of distance from others. He also lowered the number of people permitted to gather indoors to 10.

"Part of this is about messaging that we just want you to go home. Alright? We don't think shutting down our economy is the right thing to do," Baker told reporters on Nov. 2. "We're not saying don't go to work. We're saying just the opposite, people can continue to work as long as they play by the rules and follow the guidance. Same thing with respect to schools. Schools should stay open. Play by the rules, follow the guidance."

The goal, he said, is that informal activity indoor that's not masked, and involves close contact, where people are sharing food and drink and a soda, is a big part of why the state has seen so many cases.

>>MA Town-By-Town Coronavirus Stats: State Reports 10,000th Death

Massachusetts reported 21 deaths Thursday, bringing the state's confirmed deaths related to the virus above 10,000. The state also reported 2,482 new cases and designated 30 communities as high-risk in the latest town-by-town data, up from 16 last week.

There have been 10,015 confirmed deaths and 174,953 confirmed cases statewide since the pandemic reached the Bay State in March. The statewide positive test rate rose to 2.9 percent, the highest level since June.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .