Boston well being officers are urging folks to take COVID precautions throughout Memorial Day weekend, as virus transmission charges stay excessive within the metropolis and throughout the Bay State.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 3,084 new COVID instances, down 22% from final Wednesday’s whole of three,948 infections, however the threat for COVID stays excessive forward of the vacation weekend filled with events.
In Boston, the group positivity price is at 11% and the town is averaging 54.2 new COVID instances per 100,000 residents — a slight lower during the last two weeks because the wastewater information additionally ticks down. Despite this promising signal, the elevated virus information suggests the next chance of COVID transmission throughout giant gatherings this weekend.
“The beginning of summer is an exciting time and after two very difficult years, everyone is eager to gather,” Bisola Ojikutu, government director of the Boston Public Health Commission, stated on Wednesday. “However, the danger of COVID-19 transmission is at the moment excessive.
“Wear a mask indoors, get tested, particularly prior to gatherings, stay home if you are ill and reach out to your health care provider for treatment if you test positive,” she added. “Take all the necessary precautions, because you can’t go to Red Sox games, or go to the beach, or host cookouts if you’re sick with COVID-19.”
If persons are seeing family and friends this weekend, they need to collect outdoors as usually as attainable to scale back the danger of COVID transmission, the well being officers stated. Also, folks ought to maintain their home windows open for correct air flow.
Residents ought to take a look at for COVID earlier than and after attending gatherings, particularly if they are going to be round high-risk people — similar to seniors, those that are immunocompromised, and unvaccinated people.
Omicron subvariants have sparked a latest rise in COVID instances. The state’s common p.c positivity has jumped to eight.33%, considerably up from 1.6% two months in the past. The 8.33%, nevertheless, is down from 9.13% at the moment final week.
State well being officers on Wednesday reported 12 COVID deaths, bringing the state’s whole recorded demise toll to twenty,544. The day by day common of COVID deaths is now 10. The demise price had been a lot increased after omicron hospitalizations surged.
After COVID hospitalizations decreased by 19 sufferers, the state’s total affected person rely is now 816 sufferers. Total hospitalizations have been going up after the latest bounce in infections.
Across the state, there are actually 77 coronavirus sufferers in intensive care items, and 37 sufferers are intubated.
More than 5.3 million folks in Massachusetts are actually absolutely vaccinated, and greater than 3 million folks have gotten a booster dose. Also, 455,024 extra booster doses have been administered.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
