Positive test rate drops to record low

Massachusetts health officials on Thursday reported 17 new coronavirus deaths and 393 new cases as the average positive test rate dropped to the state’s record low of under 1%.

The 17 new coronavirus deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 9,077, 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 13 now.

The state has logged 121,546 cases of the highly contagious disease, an increase of 393 confirmed cases and 22 probable cases since Wednesday. Of the 121,546 total cases, at least 105,769 people have recovered.

The seven-day weighted average of the Bay State’s positive test rate dropped to the state’s record low level of 0.9% on Thursday.

Coronavirus hospitalizations went up by four patients, bringing the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization total to 312.

There are 61 patients in the ICU, and 28 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 313 now.

An additional 31,584 tests have brought the state’s total to more than 2.5 million tests.

The state reported 24,635 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have now contracted the virus, with 380 facilities reporting at least one case of COVID-19.

Of the state’s 9,077 total coronavirus deaths, 5,824 are connected to long-term care facilities.

The U.S. has recorded more than 6.1 million coronavirus cases — the most cases in the world.

More than 186,000 Americans have died, and more than 2.2 million have recovered.