Coronavirus

Mass. Confirms 962 New COVID Cases, 5 More Deaths

Massachusetts' COVID metrics are far lower than they were several months ago, but some have been rising in recent weeks

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Massachusetts health officials reported another 962 confirmed coronavirus cases -- the most in a single day since early May -- and five new deaths on Wednesday.

The report pushed the state's confirmed COVID-19 caseload to 676,387 since the start of the pandemic and its death toll to 17,723. The last time more than 962 COVID cases were reported in one day was on May 6.

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 rose to 2.62% on Wednesday. It was once above 30%, but had dropped under 0.5% until the delta variant began surging in the state.

The number of patients in Massachusetts hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 245; the figure was once nearly 4,000, but averaged under 85 in July. Of those currently hospitalized, 58 are listed as being in intensive care units and 19 are intubated.

More than 8.9 million vaccine doses have been administered in Massachusetts as of Wednesday. That includes nearly 4.6 million first shots and nearly 4.1 million second shots of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There have been more than 290,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered.

Health officials on Wednesday reported that a total of 4,375,020 Bay State residents have been fully vaccinated.

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