Eight more people in Massachusetts have died from COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 56, according to numbers released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The department said Monday there are now 797 new cases for a total of 5,752.
Nearly 43,000 residents have been tested for the virus so far, according to health officials.
Health officials said the latest deaths included a man in his 60s from Middlesex County with pre-existing conditions; a woman in her 80s from Essex County with pre-existing conditions; a woman in her 70s from Norfolk County, with unknown pre-existing conditions; a man in his 60s from Essex County with pre-existing conditions; a woman in her 70s from Suffolk County with unknown pre-existing conditions; a woman in her 70s from Bristol County with pre-existing conditions; a woman in her 70s from Middlesex County with pre-existing conditions; and a woman in her 60s from Suffolk County with unknown pre-existing conditions.
Health officials said all eight individuals had been hospitalized.
According to the numbers released by the department of health, Middlesex and Suffolk counties have the most cases of coronavirus.
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The number of women infected with the virus is 2,961 while the number of men infected with the virus is 2,759.
Earlier in the day, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the latest models show that the coronavirus surge is expected to hit the state in the next two to three weeks, sometime between April 7 and April 17.
He said the focus now is on preparing for that surge, including making sure people stay home to help "flatten the curve," securing as many needed supplies as possible and expanding the state's existing bed capacity to help ease the pressure on existing healthcare facilities.
The federal government has approved Baker's request for at least 1,000 ventilators to help address the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, all travelers arriving in Massachusetts were asked to self-quarantine for two weeks. Schools and non-emergency day care centers remain closed through the end of April, while a stay-at-home advisory for residents is currently in effect until April 7.
