Massachusetts reported 881 new coronavirus cases Friday, a significant decline from the 1,004 new infections reported Thursday. The death toll rose by 5.
Friday’s total marks the fourth day this week cases have been under 1,000 — a trend last observed in mid-October.
The state reports two COVID-19 positivity rates—one with higher education testing and one without. On Friday, the seven-day test positivity rate with higher education testing removed sat at 2.4 percent, down from the 2.8 percent reported this time last week. The rate that includes higher education sits at 1.4 percent.
The state reported 459 hospitalizations Friday, down from the 559 reported this time last week. Friday’s total marks the lowest hospitalizations have been in the state since Nov. 4, when 498 patients were hospitalized with the potentially deadly virus.
On Friday, Massachusetts reported 93,199 new vaccinations, bringing the state’s total to 6,594,462. Over 40 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 dashboard has not posted any new data since the college entered its summer testing cycle on May 3. Monday’s dashboard update reported no positive COVID-19 tests out of the 338 tests administered on 4/30.
Zero community members were reported to be in on-campus quarantine and isolation on Monday.
The spring semester testing cycle concluded with 169 positive COVID-19 tests reported and a positivity rate of 0.21 percent, compared to the 60 cases and 0.12 percent positivity rate reported in the fall. Over the fall and spring semesters, 229 positive tests were reported, adding up to a 0.17 percent positivity rate.
