Massachusetts reported 216 new coronavirus cases Saturday, up from the 177 cases reported Friday. The death toll rose by 4.
Saturday’s report marks just the fifth second time this week cases have risen above 200. Cases statewide have plummeted in recent weeks, regularly falling below 500 per day and reaching levels not seen since early last fall, when cases were at their absolute nadir.
The state reports two COVID-19 positivity rates—one with higher education testing and one without. On Saturday, the seven-day test positivity rate with higher education testing removed sat at 0.8 percent—the lowest mark the state has reported since it began tracking the metric. Last week, the rate was 1.0 percent. The rate that includes higher education sits at 0.6 percent.
The state reported 181 hospitalizations Saturday, down from the 236 reported this time last week. Saturday’s total marks the lowest number reported since Sept. 18 when 183 people were reported hospitalized.
On Saturday, Massachusetts reported 96,380 new vaccinations, bringing the state’s total to 8,061,278. More than 55 percent of the state’s population is now fully inoculated against COVID-19—meaning they have received both doses of the vaccines manufactured by Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Emerson’s most recent dashboard update revealed no new positive COVID-19 tests out of 75 tests administered on Thursday.
The dashboard is not updated on weekends because Emerson’s testing site at Tufts Medical Center is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
