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Massachusetts Department of Health

Cannabis Dust Contributed To Woman's Death In Holyoke Facility: Mass Health Dept. Cannabis Dust Contributed To Woman's Death In Holyoke Facility: Mass Health Dept.
Cannabis Dust Contributed To Woman's Death In Holyoke Facility: Mass Health Dept. A new report from the Massachusetts Department of Health said a woman who died at a Hampden County cannabis facility is the state's first workplace asthma-related death.  Lorna McMurrey, 27, of West Springfield, was filling pre-rolled joints at the Trulieve facility in Holyoke on Jan. 4, 2022, when she told her coworkers that she couldn't breathe and fell unconscious, the report said. Paramedics rushed her to an area hospital, where she remained on life support until her death three days later.  The medical examiner ruled that McMurrey died of “brain death, due to cardia…
West Nile Virus Detected In Eastern Mass Mosquitos: Health Department West Nile Virus Detected In Eastern Mass Mosquitos: Health Department
West Nile Virus Detected In Eastern Mass Mosquitos: Health Department Health officials have warned Massachusetts residents to take precautions after researchers discovered this year's first case of West Nile Virus in mosquitos.  The virus was first detected in mosquitos captured in Brookline, the Massachusetts Department of Health said.  “We often find the first evidence of WNV in mosquitoes at about this time every year,” said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robert Goldstein in a news release. "We are asking people to start taking steps now to avoid mosquito bites. While WNV can cause serious illness, there are simple things that you can do to prote…
CDC Issues Health Advisory Amid Ongoing Investigation Into Monkeypox In US CDC Issues Health Advisory Amid Ongoing Investigation Into Monkeypox In US
CDC Issues Health Advisory Amid Ongoing Investigation Into Monkeypox In US Federal officials are cautioning Americans to be aware after the first confirmed case of monkeypox was reported on the East Coast and a possible case is under investigation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert on Friday, May 20 along with the Massachusetts Department of Health as they investigate a confirmed case of the virus in the Commonwealth. On Tuesday, May 17, an investigation was launched when a Massachusetts resident was treated for skin lesions that had several features suspicious of monkeypox, including "firm, well-circumscribed, deep-seated, and …
COVID-19: Massachusetts Hospitalizations Surge To Highest Level Since Spring 2020 COVID-19: Massachusetts Hospitalizations Surge To Highest Level Since Spring 2020
Covid-19: Massachusetts Hospitalizations Surge To Highest Level Since Spring 2020 Massachusetts hospitals have been quickly filling up as the state is reporting more patients being treated for COVID-19 than at any point since the outset of the pandemic nearly two years ago. According to the latest update from the Massachusetts Department of Health, there are now 2,524 COVID-19 patients being treated in state hospitals, the highest number since March 2020, just months after the initial outbreak of the virus. Among those 2,524 patients, 416 are in Intensive Care Units, while 259 are intubated as the Omicron COVID-19 variant continues to rage through the region. The jump i…
COVID-19: How Low Will It Go? Positive-Test Rate In Massachusetts Falls Again COVID-19: How Low Will It Go? Positive-Test Rate In Massachusetts Falls Again
Covid-19: How Low Will It Go? Positive-Test Rate In Massachusetts Falls Again Massachusetts continues to see declining COVID-19 numbers as the state continues ramping up its vaccination program. The seven-day average positive COVID-19 rate for those tested statewide has dropped to 1.5 percent as of Thursday, May 6 after hovering at or above 2.5 percent for most of last month as the Massachusetts Department of Health reports 21,300 active cases of the virus. There are currently 485 COVID-19 patients being treated in Massachusetts hospitals, including 135 in ICU and 81 who are intubated with the virus. The average age of those hospitalized is 60 years old. In the past…
COVID-19: Massachusetts Sees New Increase In Cases; Latest Breakdown By County COVID-19: Massachusetts Sees New Increase In Cases; Latest Breakdown By County
Covid-19: Massachusetts Sees New Increase In Cases; Latest Breakdown By County The number of new COVID-19-related deaths was down week-to-week in Massachusetts, though the number of active cases is on the rise.  The Massachusetts Department of Health was reporting 12 new deaths - down from 36 the previous week to bring the total number of fatalities to 16,993 statewide as of Wednesday, April 7. According to the Department of Health, there are now an estimated 34,652 active COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, up from less than 32,000 a week ago. A total of 609,533 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Massachusetts out of 19.3 million tests administered. There are …
COVID-19: Fourth Wave? Vaccine Distribution Increasing In Massachusetts, But So Are Cases COVID-19: Fourth Wave? Vaccine Distribution Increasing In Massachusetts, But So Are Cases
Covid-19: Fourth Wave? Vaccine Distribution Increasing In Massachusetts, But So Are Cases Despite the state ramping up its vaccination program, Massachusetts continues to see an increase in newly confirmed cases as it contends with a potential fourth wave of COVID-19 cases. Though the numbers aren't as bad as they were in the wake of the holiday season, the numbers are still higher than they were last summer, when the East Coast “flattened the curve” and saw a dramatic decrease in cases. Related story - COVID-19: CDC Director Warns Of 'Impending Doom,' As US Cases Rise; Biden Takes New Action However, while the numbers are still improving slightly, more infections are being rep…
COVID-19: Massachusetts Sees New Increase In Cases; Latest Breakdown By County COVID-19: Massachusetts Sees New Increase In Cases; Latest Breakdown By County
Covid-19: Massachusetts Sees New Increase In Cases; Latest Breakdown By County The number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts continues to increase as the death toll mounts across the state amid what some fear could be a potential fourth wave of cases. In the latest data released by the state Department of Health, there were 1,817 new COVID-19 cases, which resulted in 29 newly reported virus-related deaths. There were more than 30,750 active COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts as of Sunday, March 28, a sharp increase from the previous week, when the number hovered around 25,000.  According to the Department of Health, the seven-day average infection rate of those tes…
COVID-19: Massachusetts Schools See Increase In Cases For Third Straight Week COVID-19: Massachusetts Schools See Increase In Cases For Third Straight Week
Covid-19: Massachusetts Schools See Increase In Cases For Third Straight Week For the third straight week, Massachusetts schools have seen an increase in new COVID-19 cases among students and staff. The state Department of Health was reporting 910 new COVID-19 cases in the past week in data released on Thursday, March 25 in its weekly report. A total of 682 students and 228 employees with district building access within seven days of the report tested positive between Thursday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 24. The new number is an increase of 241 from the previous week when 476 students and 193 district staff tested positive for a total of 669 cases. The wee…
COVID-19: Drivers Willing To Pay Seniors $275, $100 To Cut Vaccine Line Via 'Companion' Clause COVID-19: Drivers Willing To Pay Seniors $275, $100 To Cut Vaccine Line Via 'Companion' Clause
Covid-19: Drivers Willing To Pay Seniors $275, $100 To Cut Vaccine Line Via 'Companion' Clause People seeking to get the COVID-19 vaccine early are looking to make quick friends with people ages 75 and up according to recently spotted Craigslist ads. As of Thursday, Feb. 12, people who accompany Massachusetts residents ages 75 and older to get their COVID-19 vaccinations can also be vaccinated at the same time. Lawmakers are scrambling to close this loophole, according to the Boston Globe. Some people are using this companion clause as an opportunity to skip ahead in the vaccination line.  The COVID-19 vaccine is being doled out in several phases with medical frontline worker…