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This week, Nov. 27, there are 31 Central and Western Massachusetts communities in the red - meaning that they are at the highest risk to spread the virus.
Last week, Nov. 19, there were 21.
The week before that, Nov. 12, there were 9.
This week, the Massachusetts average daily COVID-19 rate per 100,000 people was 34.9.
Newly added to the red list are Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Leicester, Millbury, Monson, Paxton, Rutland, Sutton, and West Boylston.
Some of the 31 communities that are on the state’s red, yellow, or green risk list are bringing their COVID-19 infection rates down - though not fast enough to get off the list. Communities that have reduced the risk, but still remain on the list are Brimfield, Brookline, Clinton, Easthampton, Douglas, Hatfield, Holyoke, Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, Milford, Northbridge, and Westfield.
The following cities and towns are in the red, according to Nov. 27 Massachusetts COVID-19 data, which means they have some of the highest daily-average, infection rates per 100,000 people in the state. All communities listed have their most recent COVID-19 rates beside them. Communities that were newly added to the red list this week are in CAPS:
RED
BELCHERTOWN 13.3
Chicopee 41.9
Clinton 35.5
Douglas 30.9
EAST LONGMEADOW 38.6
Fitchburg 52.7
Gardner 30.2
Hampden 58.3
Holyoke 54.7
Hopedale 43.1
Lancaster 29.1
LEICESTER 36.1
Leominster 60.3
Ludlow 48.6
Lunenburg 46.6
Milford 39.4
MILLBURY 45.5
MONSON 33.2
PAXTON 41.8
RUTLAND 29
Southbridge 57.9
Southwick 43.7
Springfield 63.4
Sterling 50
SUTTON 36.7
Templeton 24.5
Upton 20.2
Uxbridge 25.6
WEST BOYLSTON 31
West Springfield 52.6
Winchendon 34.5.
Massachusetts’ system for determining local risk and COVID-19 rates considers the size of a community.
To be a red city or town, a small community must have 25 or more total cases; a medium community must have an average of more than 10 cases per 100,000 people or a positive COVID-19 test rate of 5 percent or more; for large communities, they must have an average case rate of more than 10 cases per 100,000 people and a positive test rate that is 4 percent or higher.
But there are other levels of risk: yellow, green, and gray. Red is the highest risk, then yellow, then green, then gray (low-to-no risk).
The following are Central and Western Massachusetts communities on the yellow list:
YELLOW
Blackstone 28.5
Charlton 37.8
Dudley 41.8
Easthampton 15
Grafton 28.4
Granby 25.7
Holden 39.5
Longmeadow 23.6
Northampton 13.9
Northborough 30
Northbridge 35.3
Oxford 23.9
Palmer 24.8
Shrewsbury 27.7
South Hadley 17.4
Southborough 11.8
Spencer 32.4
Sturbridge 21.6
Ware 24.6
Webster 27.9
Westborough 28.6
Westfield 26.3
Wilbraham 29.5
Worcester 47.7
GREEN
These are the green listed communities from Central and Western Massachusetts:
Bolton 17
Boylston 22.3
Brimfield 23
Hatfield 30.9
Hubbardston 22.9
North Brookfield 20
Southampton 13.1
Warren 17.1
West Brookfield 27.
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