Massachusetts health officials have reported more than 18,000 new breakthrough COVID cases over the last week, and 47 new deaths in people with breakthrough cases.
In the last week, 18,820 new breakthrough cases -- infections in people who have been vaccinated -- were reported, with 241 more vaccinated people hospitalized over the period, Massachusetts Department of Public Health officials said Tuesday. This is a 34% decrease from the last report -- in the previous period, there were 28,797 new breakthrough cases reported.
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The new report brings the total number of breakthrough cases to 549,138 and the death toll among people with breakthrough infections to 2,861.
COVID-19 cases have been rising across the state for several weeks, but he breakthrough case figures remain a small percentage of the total number of all people who have been vaccinated. Cases in vaccinated individuals account for 10.2% of all cases, hospitalizations .17% and deaths are just 0.05% of the total counts since the start of the pandemic.
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Massachusetts' COVID metrics, tracked on the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, have been rising, with the latest surge being attributed to a subvariant of omicron, the BA.2. 12.1 subvariant.
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The state reported 3,425 new cases on Tuesday, with 803 people hospitalized. Of those hospitalizations, 261 are hospitalized primarily for COVID-19 reasons. There are 78 patients in intensive care and 24 intubated.
There were 30 new deaths reported Tuesday, a number reflecting a three-day period over the weekend.
The state's seven-day average positivity rate came in at 9.12% Tuesday, compared to 8.48% on Monday.
Experts have said that case count reporting may have become a less accurate indicator during the omicron surge, given the difficulties in getting tested and widespread use of rapid tests where results go unreported.
More than 14.6 million vaccine doses have now been administered in Massachusetts.
Health officials on Tuesday reported that a total of 5,375,014 Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated.
