Coronavirus Hot Spots: Map and List of Mass. Communities With High Rates of Cases

Massachusetts has released its latest weekly data on the coronavirus pandemic, including an updated version of the state's new community-level risk assessment map.

The data, from the Department of Public Health, includes a breakdown of the total number of coronavirus cases in each Massachusetts city and town, as well as the new map. Beginning in September, health officials are also including data from colleges and universities in the report.

Community Risk Assessment

Last month, Gov. Charlie Baker revealed this new metric for understanding how much the virus has spread locally.

It shows the number of cases detected on average each day over the last two weeks in each of Massachusetts' communities. More than 8 cases per 100,000 translates to a high risk, between 4 and 8 cases per 100,000 is moderate risk, and any less than that is low risk, Baker said.

Mass. Department of Public Health

Cities and towns shaded red have the greatest risk levels. There are 17 in this map, an increase from the 13 in last week's map, which included data from Aug. 23-Sept. 5.

The high-risk communities in Wednesday's report are Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Monson, Nantucket, New Bedford, Plainville, Revere, Saugus, Tyngsborough, Winthrop, Wrentham and Worcester.

Of that group, all but four appear on the chart below ranking communities by rates of positive tests. Monson and Plainville were excluded because they did not meet the threshold of 15 positive tests in the last two weeks, while Winthrop (1.21% positivity) and Worcester (0.87%) were not among the 25 qualified communities with the highest rates of positive tests in that period.

The data provided by the state in its weekly report on COVID-19 has changed as the pandemic has dragged on. Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said earlier this month that her agency recognizes that it's necessary to change what data the state reports as it moves into different phases of outbreak.

Recent Coronavirus Tests Returning Positive

Among cities and towns with at least 15 new cases in the last two weeks, these 25 communities have the highest percentages of positive cases in that time period.

Community	Number of cases	Cases in the last 14 days	Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 in the last 14 days	Total tests in the last 14 days	Positive tests in the last 14 days	Percent positivity in the last 14 days
Lawrence	4,325	209	16.9	4,872	259	5.32%
Chelsea	3,498	121	22.9	3,451	163	4.72%
Everett	2,185	111	16.3	2,895	132	4.56%
Lynn	4,693	180	12.7	5,469	249	4.55%
Revere	2,523	160	18.8	4,426	201	4.54%
New Bedford	2,548	131	9.4	3,903	158	4.05%
Nantucket	79	30	18.9	806	31	3.85%
Tyngsborough	127	15	8.9	556	17	3.06%
Fall River	2,027	84	6.7	3,956	120	3.03%
Dedham	495	42	11.1	1591	47	2.95%
Framingham	2,146	119	11.4	4,519	130	2.88%
Attleboro	787	47	7.3	1,814	50	2.76%
Lynnfield	131	17	10.4	756	20	2.65%
Brockton	4,722	92	6.7	4,882	123	2.52%
Clinton	298	15	7.6	666	15	2.25%
Saugus	690	36	9	1,894	42	2.22%
Hingham	321	24	7.2	1,212	26	2.15%
Methuen	1,214	48	6.4	2,875	61	2.12%
Marlborough	1,158	34	5.6	1,994	42	2.11%
Lowell	3,262	105	6.4	6,358	126	1.98%
Wrentham	239	15	9.5	764	15	1.96%
Chelmsford	412	28	5.6	1,603	29	1.81%
Weymouth	843	36	4.6	2,419	41	1.69%
Haverhill	1,404	50	5.4	3,703	61	1.65%
Milford	731	18	4.4	1,414	23	1.63%

Data from between Sept. 2 and Sept. 16, 2020, omitting communities with under 15 new cases in that span. The state notes that earlier reports were based on the number of people who tested positive, but this percentage is instead based on the total number of positive tests. Both tallies are listed in the chart above.

Lawrence had the highest rate of positive tests among qualifying communities, with a slight increase from 5.27% last week to 5.32% this week. Chelsea had the second highest rate with 4.72%, an improvement from last week's rate of 5.35%. Everett came in third with 4.56% positive cases, an improvement from 5.16% last week.

The state's overall rate of positive tests has fluctuated, but it has been decreasing in each data set presented since early August, dropping to 0.9% positive tests in the last 14 days.

Take a closer look at last week's list.

Colleges and Universities

From Sept. 16 forward, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services says data from 59 colleges and universities with on-campus testing will be included in the state's weekly report.

As of Wednesday, there have been 499 confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with higher education testing. Of those cases, more than a third -- 168 -- have come in the last week.