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Massachusetts Ramps Up Testing as Cases Rise [COVID-19 Weekly Report]

According to their recent report, the Boston Public Health Commission showed a 46% increase in COVID-19 cases among Boston’s residents from the previous week. The number of positive coronavirus test results in the city for the week ending with April 24th stand at 6,958 with 232 deaths. There were 110 new deaths this week, representing about a 90% increase from last week.

The downtown neighborhoods (North End, West End, Downtown, Back Bay, and Beacon Hill) reported a total of 236 cases, which is at a rate of 42.4 per 10,000 residents. In the previous weekly report, there were 185 cases. Approximately 10% of those in Boston with COVID-19 have required hospitalization.

Despite speculation that the curve was flattening in Massachusetts, data numbers indicate that this could have been a result of less testing throughout the state. The number of reported testing from Monday through Wednesday was steadily declining which could be reflected in the number of reported positive test results for those days.

Following an expansion of testing through a partnership with the Baker-Polito administration and Quest Diagnostics, Friday saw more than 20,000 processed tests. However, this number reflects a reporting error made by Quest in which nearly 10,000 processed tests were reported that were backlogged from April 13th and released with Friday’s data. Thursday saw the highest number of processed tests with about 14,000 reported. In comparison, prior to the new testing capacity, Wednesday saw 5,090 processed tests. As a result, Massachusetts’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose to 50,969 with 4,946 new positive test results.

Friday saw the week’s highest spike in deaths with 196 reported new deaths (the second highest reported death toll in a single day). Thursday also had a significant increase in new deaths with 178 reported deaths (the third highest reported death toll in a single day). The current count for COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts stands at 2,556. About 55% of those deaths are from long-term care facilities with 1,429 deaths reported.

After several fatal coronavirus outbreaks in Massachusetts’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities, much of the new testing has been focused in these high risk communities. The Senate will hold its next session on a pending bill that would require assisted living facilities to submit daily reporting of COVID-19 positive test results and attributed deaths among residents and employees.

The North End Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (i.e., the North End Nursing Home) currently does not have any positive CV-19 cases but had reported three earlier cases to the public health board and those patients unfortunately passed.

3 Replies to “Massachusetts Ramps Up Testing as Cases Rise [COVID-19 Weekly Report]

  1. I’m 70 yrs old and very nervous about the amount of cases in Massachusetts. I think Charlie Baker is doing a good job. I live with my grown son who was a bartender for Marriott and is on unemployment. We are doing well and don’t have any financial problems. I feel so helpless.

    1. You have a lot of company feeling that way. I’d suggest if you have a hobby, you dedicate yourself to it for awhile. As I wasn’t liking retirement, I returned to work last summer. Believe it or not, I was surprised at the number of work from home positions available to seniors. We have a perceived work ethic. I am so grateful to have this at a time like this. Stay away from the tabloid news. They trade in creating fear and perpetuating hate. I like Bloomberg. It’s financial news mainly, but I enjoy this Jonathan Farro in the early morning. I get a kick out of the Brit sense of humor. You might find some indoor plants from Teleforist, if you don’t have an outside area. If you can plant around your place, it’s getting close to planing season..

  2. I’m thankful my aunt is doing better in the nursing home (won’t say where). No symptoms according to their daughters. Prayers to her and everyone else in all the nursing homes including the North End Nursing Home! 🙏🙏💪

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