New cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continued to decline in Middlesex County, although state numbers saw a small increase, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.
For the week ending Sunday, Middlesex County reported 1,279 new cases, down 10.9% from the 1,436 new cases reported the previous week. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 321,021 cases and 3,934 deaths.
Thirty-three new deaths were reported last week, although the previous death total was revised downward by 792. Last week, Massachusetts changed how deaths are reported, removing several thousand deaths from the official tallies. This will make week-to-week comparisons inaccurate.
Neighboring counties reported slight increases in cases.
Worcester County reported 495 new cases last week and adjusted its death count down by 489; a week earlier, it reported 483 new cases and 35 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 190,566 cases and 2,559 deaths.
Norfolk County reported 426 new cases last week and adjusted its death count down by 377; a week earlier, it reported 404 new cases and 14 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 129,860 cases and 1,865 deaths.
Cases fell last week in six counties, with the sharpest declines occurring in Middlesex, Hampden (244 cases, down from 298) and Hampshire (145 cases, down from 187) counties.
Statewide, new cases totaled 5,264, up 7.3% from the 4,906 new cases reported the previous week. Total deaths were adjusted downward by 3,722 people.
The counties adding the most cases last week were Middlesex (1,279), Suffolk (686) and Worcester (495). Weekly case counts rose in five counties last week from the previous week, with the sharpest increases occurring in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties.
Massachusetts ranks 16th in the nation in terms of where the coronavirus is spreading fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
Last week, coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 12.9% from the week before, with 209,244 cases reported. With 2.1% of the country’s population, Massachusetts had 2.5% of the country’s cases last week. Throughout the country, 11 states had more cases last week than they did the week before.
Within Massachusetts, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis are in Hampshire County, with 90 cases per 100,000 per week; Suffolk County (85); and Berkshire County (84). The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Massachusetts is third nationally in its share of people receiving at least one shot, with 96.9% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 76.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending last Tuesday, Massachusetts reported administering another 37,468 vaccine doses, including 17,692 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 50,159 vaccine doses, including 25,952 first doses. In all, Massachusetts has administered more than 14.3 million total doses.
A total of 1,685,937 people in Massachusetts have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 20,029 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 79,734,788 people have tested positive and 971,162 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Friday.
Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the state:
Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the nation:
Hospitals in only two states reported more COVID-19 patients last week than the week before, while hospitals in four states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in five states admitted more COVID-19 patients last week than they did a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
