MA Coronavirus: Deaths Rise To 154, Cases Near 9,000

WORCESTER, MA — The coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts continued to balloon on Thursday when state officials announced 1,228 new cases and 32 deaths from the virus — including a woman in her 30s from Suffolk County.

That brings total cases to 8,966, and the death toll to 154. An additional 4,870 people have been tested for a total of 56,608 tests.

The new totals were released just a few hours after Gov. Charlie Baker announced that Massachusetts could see as many as 172,000 cases over the course of the outbreak — a number that's variable due to factors including how long the outbreak lasts and how testing proceeds.

Most people in Massachusetts who have died from complications related to the coronavirus were between 50 and 100 years old. But on Wednesday, state officials announced the death of a 31-year-old man, later identified as Riley Rumrill. He died Sunday in Boston and had asthma, according to reports.

The woman from Suffolk County who died had an underlying condition and was hospitalized due to the virus, health officials said.

Health officials warned that the coronavirus is most deadly for older people and people with underlying health conditions. About 3,100 people in Massachusetts under the age of 40 had been diagnosed with the coronavirus as of Thursday.

Suffolk County now has the highest concentration of coronavirus cases in the state. For weeks, Middlesex County had the most cases. Essex and Norfolk counties had the third- and fourth-most cases as of Thursday, respectively.

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Correction: An earlier version of this article misreported the total number deaths due to coronavirus as 156. The number of deaths as of April 2 was 154.

This article originally appeared on the Worcester Patch