Updated: June 5, 2020
16% of Worcester County coronavirus tests have been positive
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By Riley Garand
Almost 16% of more than 70,000 coronavirus tests conducted in Worcester County have brought back positive results, according to a Worcester Business Journal analysis of Massachusetts Department of Public Health data.
Positive test rates are seen as a critical way to gauge the spread of the virus in a community, with public officials working to increase testing statewide to more thoroughly account for the breadth of the pandemic.
Towns in Worcester County have had roughly 70,593 individuals tested for the coronavirus with 11,164, or almost 16%, testing positive.
Four communities had positive-result rates of more than 20%.
- Worcester, which has seen 21,914 coronavirus tests administered with 4,910, or 22%, testing positive.
- Milford has had 2,945 individuals tested with 617, or 21%, resulting in positive results
- In Northbridge, 21% of 1,598 tests have been positive
- In Westborough, 20% of 1,486 tests are positive.
Among other Worcester County communities, Fitchburg has had 4,610 people tested, recording 758, or 16%, positive cases. Leominster recorded 613 positive cases, or 14%, having the virus after 4,523 were tested.
In small, rural towns, rates have remained far lower. Positive rates were less than 10% in almost half the county's cities and towns, with the lowest rates in Hubbardston at 2%, and Princeton at 3%. In some communities, the state specified only that fewer than five positive results were known, including in New Braintree and Royalston.
DPH records other large Central Massachusetts communities have seen large numbers that were notable as well, particularly those MetroWest communities in Middlesex County.
- Framingham reported 7,577 coronavirus tests administered with 22%, or 1,681, positive results.
- Marlborough reported 4,510 tested individuals and 938, or 21%, testing positive.
- Natick has seen 2,315 tests given with 412, or 18%, resulting in positive results.
The positive test rate in Worcester County is nearly identical to the statewide average. Across Massachusetts, 16%, or 97,964, of the 614,133 tested individuals received positive results for the coronavirus.
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