Massachusetts health officials on Thursday reported more than 1,000 daily coronavirus cases, the first time the state has hit four figures for COVID-19 cases in three months as the delta variant takes over.
After state health officials on Thursday reported 1,046 new cases, the seven-day average of daily cases is now 660, which is more than 10 times the 64 daily cases in late June.
The last time the state reported more than 1,000 infections in one day was on May 6.
As virus infections spike amid the more highly contagious variant, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Bay State have also been climbing.
The hospitalization total continued its ascent on Thursday, an increase of 19 patients, bringing the statewide total to 264 patients. That’s more than three times the 80 COVID-19 patients in hospitals on July 4. There are now 55 patients in intensive care units, and 19 patients are intubated.
The average percent positivity for virus testing has spiked from the record low of 0.31% in late June to now 2.61%.
Following two new virus deaths on Thursday, the state’s total recorded death toll is now 18,093. The seven-day average of deaths is now 1.3, slightly up from the record low of 1.1 in mid July.
Of the confirmed virus cases in Massachusetts, the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups have been testing positive the most in recent weeks, according to Department of Public Health data this week.
There have been 2,037 people in the 20-29 age group who have tested positive in the last two weeks, and 1,596 people in the 30-39 age group have tested positive.
The rest of the breakdown is: 934 people in the 40-49 age group; 919 people in the 50-59 age group; 538 people in the 60-69 age group; 509 people in the 15-19 age group; 488 people in the 10-14 age group; 468 people in the 5-9 age group; 354 people in the 0-4 age group; 272 people in the 70-79 age group; and 160 people who are 80-plus.
More than 4.3 million people in the state are fully vaccinated.
