Massachusetts health officials reported another 1,111 confirmed coronavirus cases and two new deaths on Friday.
The report pushed the state's confirmed COVID-19 caseload to 678,544 since the start of the pandemic and its death toll to 17,727. The last time more than 1,111 COVID cases were reported in one day was on May 1.
The state's COVID metrics, tracked on the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, are far lower than they were several months ago, though some have been rising in recent weeks. While breakthrough cases are being reported, officials say most new cases, and especially serious infections, are in the unvaccinated.
Massachusetts' seven-day average of positive tests ticked down slightly to 2.65% on Friday. It was once above 30%, but had dropped under 0.5% until the delta variant began surging in the state.
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The number of patients in Massachusetts hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 271; the figure was once nearly 4,000, but averaged under 85 in July. Of those currently hospitalized, 61 are listed as being in intensive care units and 22 are intubated.
More Mass. COVID News
Nearly 9 million vaccine doses have been administered in Massachusetts as of Friday. That includes nearly 4.6 million first shots and approaching 4.1 million second shots of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There have been more than 291,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered.
Health officials on Friday reported that a total of 4,384,138 Bay State residents have been fully vaccinated.
