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The number of Massachusetts cities at high risk for the spread of COVID-19 has risen again – from 32 last week to 55 on Thursday, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health.
These communities include: Abington, Adams, Athol, Ayer, Barnstable, Blackstone, Brewster, Brockton, Canton, Carver, Chicopee, Dennis, Dracut, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Freetown, Granby, Halifax, Hampden, Hanson, Harwich, Lakeville , Lawrence, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Mansfield, Mashpee, Methuen, Milford, Monson, Nantucket, New Bedford, North Attleborough, Orange, Palmer, Peabody, Pembroke, Plainville, Plymouth, Raynham, Sandwich, Saugus, Seekonk, Southborough, Springfield , Sutton, Templeton, Tyngsborough, Ware, West Boylston, West Bridgewater, Williamstown and Yarmouth.
The risk designations – which are colored, gray, green, yellow and red depending on the infection levels – are determined using several parameters for three population categories: communities of less than 10,000 inhabitants; between 10,000 and 50,000; and greater than 50,000.
For communities of less than 10,000 residents, “gray” will be assigned if there are 10 total cases or less; “Green” if there are more than 15 cases; “Yellow” if there are up to 25 cases; and “red” if there are more than 25 cases.
For communities of 10,000 to 50,000 residents, “gray” will be assigned if there are 10 total cases or less; “Green” if there are less than 10 average cases per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 10 cases; “Yellow” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 residents or a test positivity rate of 5% or more; and “red” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 5% or more.
And for communities with more than 50,000 residents, “gray” will be assigned if there are 15 total cases or less; “Green” if there are less than 10 average cases per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 15 cases; “Yellow” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 residents or a test positivity rate of 4% or more; and “red” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 4% or more.
Active COVID infections in Massachusetts jumped to 32,868 on Thursday, from 31,911 the day before, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health.
State health officials on Thursday confirmed 2,455 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 deaths. New infections have continued to increase worryingly in recent weeks. Cases last week rose 20% from the week before and 44% since reaching their lowest level after the flare the week of February 28, data showed.
The vast majority of new COVID cases in Massachusetts continue to be attributable to young people. Almost 7,000 confirmed infections in the past 14 days were in people under 19; 6,155 others are in their 20s, according to the most recent state data. For comparison, just over 1,000 cases during this period were confirmed among residents over the age of 70.
Gov. Charlie Baker said on Thursday that the growth in the number of new cases was mainly due to residents under 40.
“The virus, as we have known from the previous holidays, has a special opportunity to spread in these environments,” he said. “We saw him on Thanksgiving; we saw it happen at Christmas.
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