July 31, 2020
Coronavirus cases rose in the last week in Central Mass., statewide
Photo | Grant Welker
Milford Regional Medical Center
By Riley Garand
The city of Worcester, Worcester County and the state as a whole are seeing a rise again in coronavirus cases at a time when Massachusetts has been so far able to reopen many shops and restaurants without seeing the high case numbers reported elsewhere, especially in the South.
The state's seven-day rolling average in new cases hit 350 on Thursday, its highest total since June 12, before consumer businesses were able to re-open to inside dining and shopping. In the past week ending Thursday, the state had 2,451 new confirmed and probable cases, according to the state Department of Public Health.
This week had a spike in new cases in particular, with 502 new cases Wednesday and another 414 on Thursday.
New cases in Worcester County have been on a slow climb in the past nearly three weeks.
Image | WBJ Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Note: The county's total was revised downward by four on June 30.
DPH reported 271 new Worcester County cases in the past week. On Monday, the county hit its highest seven-day average of new daily cases since June 12.
The city of Worcester on Thursday reported 88 new coronavirus cases in the past week, its highest weekly total since early June. The city now has 5,502 cases since the pandemic began. Worcester's rate of positive cases is fairly low at 4.9%.
Fatalities remain relatively low.
Worcester County reported 14 new deaths between July 24 and Thursday, with a total of 988 since the pandemic began. Statewide, 110 new deaths in the past week bring the total to 8,375. Worcester did not report any new deaths.
Image | WBJ Source: City of Worcester
Note: The city retroactively added cases on June 4.
Image | WBJ Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Note: The state began adding probably cases and deaths to confirmed ones beginning June 1.
UMass Memorial Health Care and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester reported a total of 12 active cases and two in intensive care. The hospital systems have had 351 coronavirus deaths to date, and 383 employees have tested positive for the virus.
MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham and Natick reported six inpatients and one in intensive care, and Milford Regional Medical Center reported five inpatients and two in the ICU. Harrington Hospital in Southbridge and UMass Memorial HealthAlliance in Leominster reported three total suspected and confirmed cases and two inpatients in intensive care.
DPH reported 12,224 new coronavirus tests administered in the past week.
Nationally, there have been more than 4.4 million recorded coronavirus cases, and 152,062 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Globally, cases have increased to above 17.2 million, with 672,062 deaths.
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