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Worcester’s positive test rate went from 2.2 percent last week to 2.5 percent this week - just shy of a July high point of 2.6.
After seeing positive test rates rise in Fitchburg and Spencer over the last few weeks, the most recent numbers show a decline in infections. Meanwhile, Webster’s positive rate carries on with a three-week trend of decreasing positive tests, the 14-day COVID-19 positive test rate is going down.
In Massachusetts, the goal is that by December the state will have less than 5 percent of COVID-19 tests come back positive. On Friday, Aug. 5, Gov. Charlie Baker reported the state’s 7-day positive test rate was at 1.8 percent, down from 2.2 percent just a week ago. (Massachusetts does not provide 7-day positive test rates for municipalities, only 14-day rates.)
Every Worcester County community met that 5 percent goal in the most recent reporting period released by the governor’s office on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
In a bit of good news: the positive test rate was zero in West Brookfield this week - it had been 2.5 percent in mid-July. Positive test rates in Northborough and OXford decreased and after three weeks of having 0 positive tests, Hubbardston showed a 0.9 percent positive test rate in the most recent data.
There were surges in Sturbridge and Milford. The positive test rate in Leominster is stubbornly going back up after holding 1.6 percent over the previous two weeks.
Since Jan. 1 Massachusetts has had a total of 112,459 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and administered 1.72 million tests. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state is 8,514 people.
Here is a breakdown of local COVID-19 data: presenting the total number of infections recorded per community since the beginning of the pandemic and the 14-day positive test rate, percent in parenthesis ( ), for the cities and towns in your community:
CLICK HERE FOR A GRAPHIC SHOWING POSITIVE RATES SINCE JULY 17.
Athol: 69 (0.3)
Barre: 62 (0)
Brookfield: 22 (2.6)
Clinton: 263 (1)
East Brookfield: 13 (0)
Fitchburg: 824 (1.4)
Gardner: 200 (0.5)
Hopedale: 47 (0.5)
Hubbardston: 8 (0.9)
Leominster: 730 (1.9)
Lunenburg: 69 (0.7)
Milford: 679 (2)
North Brookfield: 22 (2.7)
Northborough: 228 (0.4)
Oxford: 84 (0.6)
Petersham: 8 (0)
Rutland: 54 (0)
Shrewsbury: 357 (1.2)
Southbridge: 1,888 (1.4)
Spencer: 66 (2.1)
Sturbridge: 48 (1.5)
Upton: 26 (0.5)
Uxbridge: 81 (0.7)
Warren: 26 (0.8)
Webster: 272 (0.8)
West Brookfield: 24 (0)
Westborough: 350 (1.1)
Winchendon: 91 (0.8)
Worcester: 5,579 (2.5)
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