Virus claims another 17 lives in Mass.
Massachusetts health officials on Wednesday reported 17 new coronavirus deaths along with 542 new cases, as the state’s average positive test rate remained at a low level of 0.8%.
The 17 new coronavirus deaths and two probable coronavirus deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 9,347, the state Department of Public Health announced. The three-day average of coronavirus daily deaths has dropped from 161 at the start of May to 12 now.
The state has logged 128,512 cases of the highly contagious disease, an increase of 542 confirmed cases and one probable case since Tuesday. Of the 128,512 total cases, at least 111,479 people have recovered.
The seven-day weighted average of the state’s positive test rate held steady at a low level of 0.8% on Wednesday.
Coronavirus hospitalizations went down by 10 patients, bringing the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization total to 361.
There are 71 patients in the ICU, and 26 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 366 now.
An additional 20,662 tests have brought the state’s total to more than 3.5 million tests.
The state reported 24,802 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 383 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.
Of the state’s 9,347 total coronavirus deaths, 6,000 are connected to long-term care facilities.
More than 201,000 Americans have died. The country’s death toll is the highest in the world.
The U.S. has recorded more than 6.9 million coronavirus cases — also the most in the world. More than 2.6 million people have recovered.