Massachusetts health officials on Sunday reported 11 new coronavirus deaths and 353 new cases as the average positive test rate continued to tick up.
The 11 new coronavirus deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 8,638, the state Department of Public Health announced. The three-day average of coronavirus daily deaths has dropped from 161 at the start of May to 12 now.
The seven-day weighted average of the state’s positive test rate has declined from 16.6% on May 1 to 2.2% now. But through July until the last week of the month, the rate had been below 2%.
The rate has gradually climbed from 1.7% to 2.2% since July 14.
The state has logged 118,458 cases of the highly contagious disease, an increase of 353 confirmed cases and 65 probable cases since Saturday. Of the 118,458 total cases, at least 97,595 people have recovered.
Coronavirus hospitalizations went up by 37 patients, bringing the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization total to 406. Overall, the statewide hospitalization total has declined by 3,156 since May 5.
There are 68 patients in the ICU, and 33 patients are currently intubated.
The highest peak of Massachusetts’ coronavirus hospitalizations was 3,965 on April 21. The three-day average of the number of coronavirus hospitalizations has gone from 3,707 on May 1 to 374 now.
An additional 13,312 tests have brought the state’s total to more than 1.5 million tests.
The state reported 24,239 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 376 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.
Of the state’s 8,638 total coronavirus deaths, 5,504 are connected to long-term care facilities.
The U.S. has recorded more than 4.6 million coronavirus cases — the most cases in the world. More than 154,000 Americans have died, and more than 1.4 million have recovered.
