Worcester County's COVID new cases flat; Massachusetts cases fall 6.6%

Massachusetts reported 9,882 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 6.6% from the previous week. The previous week had 10,584 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Massachusetts ranked 41st among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 2.3% from the week before, with 795,621 cases reported. With 2.07% of the country's population, Massachusetts had 1.24% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, seven states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Worcester County reported 1,012 cases and eight deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 1,007 cases and four deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 217,432 cases and 2,697 deaths.

​ Across Massachusetts, cases fell in 10 counties, with the best declines in Middlesex County, with 1,928 cases from 2,231 a week earlier; in Essex County, with 1,091 cases from 1,178; and in Suffolk County, with 1,110 cases from 1,178. ​

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Within Massachusetts, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Berkshire County with 185 cases per 100,000 per week; Hampden County with 174; and Essex County with 138. The Centers for Disease Control 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 1,928 cases; Suffolk County, with 1,110 cases; and Essex County, with 1,091.

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In Massachusetts, ​ 61 ​ people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 48 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,987,385 people in Massachusetts have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 21,285 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 92,927,104 people have tested positive and 1,037,021 people have died.

Note: For Massachusetts, Johns Hopkins University reports data in a combined health department for Dukes and Nantucket counties. Those two counties may appear without any cases, and this will skew rankings of counties.

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Massachusetts's COVID-19 hospital admissions staying flat

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Aug. 14. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

• Last week: 1,245
• The week before that: 1,255
• Four weeks ago: 1,299

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

• Last week: 72,082
• The week before that: 71,315
• Four weeks ago: 70,906

Hospitals in 13 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 18 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 27 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.