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Massachusetts health officials reported 5,356 more cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, with about 54,199 cases currently active in the state.
These cases are based on 106,116 new molecular tests. The seven-day average positivity rate stands at 5.4%, down from a low of 0.8% over the summer, according to data from the Department of Public Health. Excluding higher education tests, this rate is 7.45%. Testing has been common at colleges, which have an average seven-day positivity rate of 0.48%, according to DPH.
Officials also announced 41 more deaths on Saturday linked to confirmed cases of COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, Massachusetts has recorded at least 242,812 coronavirus cases and 10,715 deaths.
Currently, 1,428 people are hospitalized with the virus, including 283 in intensive care units. Hospitalizations have been increasing for weeks. The seven-day average number of confirmed patients in hospital is 1,264, down from a previous low of 155, according to DPH.
A field hospital at the DCU center in Worcester is expected to open on Sunday to help manage cases of the virus as more people are hospitalized. Another field hospital is planned for Lowell.
Currently, 97 communities in the state are considered at high risk of spreading the virus. Massachusetts education officials said this week that 276 students and 251 staff tested positive for COVID between November 26 and December 2.
The federal government plans to send nearly 60,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Massachusetts in a first shipment, Governor Charlie Baker’s office announced Friday evening. Emergency use authorization has been requested for the vaccines from Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna.
Here are the cumulative cases of coronavirus counted in each county of Massachusetts:
Barnstable County: 3,429
Berkshire County: 1903
Bristol County: 22310
Dukes County: 309
Essex County: 39,369
Franklin County: 739
Hampden County: 17982
Hampshire County: 2536
Middlesex County: 51310
Nantucket County: 420
Norfolk County: 17,817
Plymouth County: 16,142
Suffolk County: 40,045
County of Worcester: 27,814
Unknown location: 687
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