Massachusetts public health officials reported 892 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 18 more deaths on Monday.
The update brings the totals to 559,975 confirmed cases and 16,103 deaths, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Another 332 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19.
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Generally, Massachusetts' coronavirus metrics have been trending downward in the past several weeks, according to the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, with the average number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths peaking in the second week of January. The testing rate peaked Jan. 1. The figures reported daily are important for tracking trends with the virus' spread, though a single-day change may not reflect a larger trend, and may reflect incomplete data.
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The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, ticked up to 1.67% from 1.66%.
The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 increased slightly to 672. Of that number, 180 were listed as being in intensive care units and 123 were intubated, according to health officials.
The number of estimated active cases increased to 27,369 from 27,320 on Sunday.
Also on Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidelines for fully vaccinated people, saying they don't have to be socially distant with other fully vaccinated people or wear masks when indoors with them. However, they should keep wearing masks and distance from others in public and avoid large gatherings, the CDC said.
