Bay State toll rises by 33 as numbers track lower

Massachusetts health officials on Tuesday reported that 33 more people have died from the coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases increased by 870 — the second straight day with fewer than 1,000 new cases, which is the first time that has happened in more than one month.

The 33 new deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 5,141, the state Department of Public Health announced.

The last day there were fewer than 40 deaths in Massachusetts was April 6. Most days have surpassed 100 deaths, with a few days exceeding 200 deaths.

“PLEASE NOTE: Due to a later reporting deadline on Monday May 11, some deaths that might have been included in today’s report were instead included in yesterday’s report,” DPH stated.

The state now has 79,332 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease, an increase of 870 cases since Monday.

Daily cases have been decreasing since Wednesday. The 669 new cases on Monday was the first day of fewer than 1,000 new cases since April 5 when there were 765 new cases.

The last two days of fewer than 1,000 cases comes as the state has tested fewer people. An additional 6,768 tests have brought the state’s total to 401,496 tests.

At least 3,127 people in Massachusetts are currently being hospitalized for the coronavirus — which is 4% of all cases — and 818 patients are currently in the ICU.

Statewide hospitalizations have dropped by 435 since last Tuesday. The highest peak of coronavirus hospitalizations was 3,965 on April 21.

Middlesex County has the most confirmed cases in Massachusetts with 17,953 cases, followed by Suffolk County with 15,454 cases.

The state reported 16,788 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 336 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.

Of the state’s 5,141 total coronavirus deaths, 3,095 deaths are connected to long-term care facilities.

The U.S. has recorded more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases as of Sunday — the most cases in the world. More than 81,000 Americans have died. More than 232,000 Americans have recovered.

New York is the country’s hot spot with more than 27,000 deaths and 338,000 cases.

There are more than 4.2 million confirmed cases worldwide and more than 290,000 deaths. More than 1.4 million people have recovered.