Massachusetts reported eight new coronavirus deaths and 222 more cases Monday, pushing the state's confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 8,925 and its confirmed caseload to more than 121,000.
There have now been 121,046 cases in the state, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The seven-day weighted average of positive tests was less than 1%.
An additional 1,745 cases are listed as probable in the daily COVID-19 report, and the total number of coronavirus deaths in Monday's report is listed as 9,133, indicating there are 208 more deaths that are considered probable at this time.
The true number of cases is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. There were more than 320 people reported hospitalized Monday because of COVID-19, and more than 55 in intensive care units. The number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 related deaths at long-term care homes rose to nearly 5,860 or more than 64% of all confirmed and probable deaths in Massachusetts attributed to the disease.
The United States topped 190,000 coronavirus-related deaths early Monday morning, according to a tally by NBC News. With 6.2 million confirmed cases, the U.S. has the largest outbreak of any country in the world.
Prior to Labor Day weekend, several U.S. officials urged people to maintain social distancing practices during the unofficial last weekend of the summer to avoid a possible surge in virus cases.
Coronavirus in New England
President Donald Trump also urged Americans to remain "vigilant" and wear masks. "We need everybody to be careful," he said Friday.
But beautiful weather over the holiday weekend sent New Englanders to beaches and parks across Massachusetts as temperatures reached the 80s under sunny skies.
