167 more Mass. deaths

Massachusetts health officials on Thursday reported that 167 more people have died from the coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases increased by 1,685 — a rise in cases as testing ramped up.

Coronavirus hospitalizations dropped considerably in one day, a decrease of 242, bringing the statewide total to 2,859. That’s the lowest number of hospitalizations in the state since mid-April.

The 167 new deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 5,482, the state Department of Public Health announced.

The state now has 82,182 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease, an increase of 1,685 cases since Wednesday. That’s the largest day-to-day increase in new cases since last week, as the state tested more people.

At least 2,859 people in Massachusetts are currently being hospitalized for the coronavirus — which is 3% of all cases — and 781 patients are currently in the ICU.

Statewide hospitalizations have dropped by 703 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 18,381 cases, followed by Suffolk County with 15,881 cases.

The state reported 17,477 residents and health-care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 340 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.

Of the state’s 5,482 total coronavirus deaths, 3,338 deaths are connected to long-term care facilities.

An additional 14,329 tests have brought the state’s total to 424,361 tests. Of the new tests, 12% came back positive.

The U.S. has recorded more than 1.4 million coronavirus cases — the most cases in the world. More than 85,000 Americans have died, and more than 243,000 have recovered.

New York is the country’s hot spot with more than 27,500 deaths and 343,000 cases.

There are more than 4.4 million confirmed cases

worldwide and more than 300,000 deaths. More than

1.5 million people have recovered.