Some Massachusetts Towns Are Still Coronavirus Hot Spots

MASSACHUSETTS — The state has been praised in recent weeks for its effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. But there are still some towns where positive test rates remain high.

For the first time Wednesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released the positive test rate for the previous two weeks for every town and city in the state, a key indicator of when it's safe to ease up on social distancing measures.

The statewide positive test rate during that time frame was 2.25 percent. But some Massachusetts cities and towns were significantly higher.

The New York Times reported last month positive test results need to stay below 5 percent for two weeks or longer and, preferably, be closer to 2 percent, for states to safely ease up social distancing restrictions.

On the map below, red dots signify towns where the positive test rate was 5 percent or higher for the two weeks ending July 8; yellow dots are towns where the positive test rate was between 2 percent and 5 percent. You can zoom in on the map, and you can also see testing rates and other coronavirus information for all 351 of the state's municipalities.

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).