Another 296 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus and 10 more people with the virus have died, Massachusetts health officials said Tuesday.
There have now been 8,529 deaths and 112,969 cases reported in the state, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, is up slightly to 1.9%, having risen to 2.2% last week from a low of 1.7% last month.
There are an additional 96 probable cases listed in the department's daily COVID-19 report, adding to a total of 8,738 probable cases that have not yet been confirmed. The report listed no new deaths among the probable cases -- there have been 222 in the state.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Charlie Baker identified four high-risk Massachusetts communities that will be the focus of his new COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team.
(See the average daily case rates in Massachusetts.)
Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere are included in the high-risk category, meaning they have over eight cases per 100,000 residents.
Twenty-nine other communities, including Auburn, Belchertown, Boston, Brockton, Charlton, Chicopee, Fall River, Framingham, Georgetown, Granby, Holyoke, Hull, Lawrence, Longmeadow, Malden, Marlborough, Maynard, Middleton, Northampton, Peabody, Salem, Saugus, Springfield, Quincy, Randolph, Taunton, Winthrop Worcester, Wrentham, are in the moderate risk category, meaning they have between four and eight cases per 100,000.
The rest of the state falls into the green (fewer than four cases per 100,000) or white (fewer than five cases overall) categories and are considered lower risk.
"People need to step up and be aware of the level of spread in each community, especially in your own area, and be vigilant," Baker said.
State House News Service contributed to this report.
