Cases continue to climb, up 2,160 with 32 new deaths
State health officials on Friday reported 2,160 new coronavirus cases and 32 new deaths representing a continued spike in cases, even as vaccine allocation has hit record numbers.
The 2,160 new cases bring the state’s total to 602,792 and the 32 new deaths bring the death toll to 16,908. The seven-day average of confirmed coronavirus cases is now 1,555, a jump from 1,322 cases a few weeks ago.
The number of estimated active cases is now 33,424 up 556 from Thursday and up from 25,397 two weeks ago.
The state’s seven-day average weighted test positivity rate is 2.55%, up from around 2% last week. Statewide hospitalizations have been dropping amid the state’s vaccine rollout but have ticked up in the past week. Hospitalizations on Friday increased by five patients, bringing the total to 705 patients. There are 160 patients in the ICU and 90 patients are intubated.
The seven-day average of the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has declined from 2,347 patients at the start of January to an average of 676 patients now.
Across the state, about 87% of hospital beds are occupied and 75% of ICU beds are taken.
The seven-day average of daily deaths is now 21, down from 77 daily deaths in late January.
Of the state’s total deaths from the virus, 8,981 deaths have been in long-term care facilities, where the majority of staff and residents are now fully vaccinated as they were among the first groups on the priority list.
On Monday, vaccine eligibility in the state will open up more, with people age 55 and over and patients with one medical condition becoming eligible for vaccination. So far, 4.35 million vaccine doses have been delivered to Massachusetts and 3.7 million have been administered. Supply is expected to increase with help from federal programs and an expected 100,000 Johnson & Johnson doses coming here.