23 more Bay State deaths, 210 new cases

State health officials reported 210 new cases and 23 more deaths from the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, as trends remain positive as the state approaches Phase 3 of its reopening.

The Massachusetts Department of Health’s daily update showed an increase of 210 cases, bringing the total to 109,838. The 23 new deaths puts the total number of fatalities at 8,172.

Those numbers remain low, though the number of tests reported Saturday also was relatively low, at 7,940. That brings the total number tested by molecular tests that check if someone currently has the virus to 880,320.

The number of people hospitalized dropped by 16, bringing that number down to 640. The number of people in intensivecare units rose by one to 107, though the number of people intubated dropped by four to 51.

The average age of people who have been hospitalized is 68, and the average age of people who have died is 81.

On Monday, the state will enter Phase 3 of the four-phase plan to reopen from COVID-19 lockdowns. Starting then, gyms, casinos and movie theaters will be allowed to open everywhere besides Boston, where the order goes into effect a week later.

The virus has hammered the Bay State’s elderly care facilities, as residents and workers there account for 5,168 of the state’s 8,172 deaths — more than 63% of the total deaths.

The state reported 23,544 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 369 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.