Bay State deaths up 29 as positive test rate ticks up

Massachusetts health officials on Wednesday reported 29 new coronavirus deaths and 356 new cases, as the average positive test rate ticked up to 2% for the first time in a month.

The 14 new coronavirus deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 8,580, the state Department of Public Health announced. The threeday average of coronavirus daily deaths has dropped from 161 at the start of May to 15 now.

The state has logged 116,684 cases of the highly contagious disease, an increase of 356 confirmed cases and 146 probable cases since Tuesday. Of the 116,684 total cases, at least 97,595 people have recovered.

DPH said about the new confirmed cases of 356: “A technical reporting error by a hospital group caused a delay in its laboratory test results being reported to DPH. These newly reported test results have been included in today’s dashboard report and are reflected in today’s case totals. However, these positive test results have been assigned retrospectively to the appropriate date of test.”

Coronavirus hospitalizations went up by 26 patients, bringing the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization total to 390. Overall, the statewide hospitalization total has declined by 3,172 since May 5. There are 62 patients in the ICU, and 23 patients are currently intubated.

The highest peak of Massachusetts’ coronavirus hospitalizations was 3,965 on April 21. The three-day average of the number of coronavirus hospitalizations has gone from 3,707 on May 1 to 368 now.

An additional 15,556 tests have brought the state’s total to more than 1.4 million tests.

The seven-day weighted average of the state’s positive test rate has declined from 16.6% on May 1 to 2% now. Throughout all of July until Wednesday, the rate had been below 2%.

The state reported 24,124 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 373 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.

Of the state’s 8,580 total coronavirus deaths, 5,468 are connected to long-term care facilities.

The U.S. has recorded more than 4.3 million coronavirus cases — the most cases in the world. More than 150,000 Americans have died, and more than 1.3 million have recovered.