NEWS

New cases of COVID-19 decline slightly in Mass.; up 2.9% in Middlesex County

Mike Stucka
USA TODAY NETWORK

Massachusetts reported 9,826 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday, down slightly from the 9,886 new cases reported the week before.

Massachusetts ranked 36th among the states where the coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. Last week, COVID-19 cases in the United States decreased 9.7% from the week before, with 593,153 cases reported.

With 2.07% of the country's population, Massachusetts had 1.66% of the country's cases last week. Across the country, 12 states had more cases last week than they did the week before.

Middlesex County reported 1,624 cases and 11 deaths last week. A week earlier, it reported 1,578 cases and 16 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 156,101 cases and 3,900 deaths.

Worcester County reported 1,571 cases and 16 deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it reported 1,548 cases and 20 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 93,367 cases and 2,384 deaths.

Norfolk County reported 717 cases and four deaths last week. A week earlier, it reported 670 cases and four deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 63,429 cases and 1,853 deaths.

Within Massachusetts, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Worcester County with 189 cases per 100,000 per week; Bristol County with 182; and Hampden County with 171. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Middlesex County, with 1,624; Worcester County, with 1,571; and Essex County, with 1,127. Weekly case counts rose in seven counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Berkshire, Norfolk and Middlesex counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Massachusetts is tops in the nation in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 78.8% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 65.9%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Sunday, Massachusetts reported administering another 139,263 vaccine doses, including 41,144 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 176,931 vaccine doses, including 54,183 first doses. In all, Massachusetts reported it has administered 10,114,825 total doses.

Across Massachusetts, COVID-19 cases fell in five counties, with the sharpest declines in Bristol County (1,028 cases, down from 1,121); in Plymouth County (654 cases, down from 744); and in Suffolk County (812 cases, down from 889).

In Massachusetts, 82 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 99 people were reported dead.

A total of 833,311 people in Massachusetts have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, with 18,828 people having died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 44,933,336 people have tested positive and 724,317 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday.

Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 931
  • The week before that: 863
  • Four weeks ago: 992

Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 80,739
  • The week before that: 84,704
  • Four weeks ago: 111,294