Massachusetts reported 1,963 new confirmed coronavirus cases and an additional 45 deaths on Tuesday, a day after the 500,000 case was recorded.
There have now been 502,378 confirmed cases and 14,362 deaths, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Another 290 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19.
Generally, Massachusetts' coronavirus metrics have been trending down, according to the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, with the average number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths peaking in the second week of January. The testing rate peaked Jan. 1. The figures reported daily are important for tracking trends with the virus' spread, though a single-day change may not reflect a larger trend, and may reflect incomplete data.
The number of estimated active cases dropped below 70,000 on Tuesday to 67,650, from 71,929 on Monday.
The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, decreased to 3.44% from 3.53% the previous day, the department said Tuesday.
The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 has decreased to 1,631. Of that number, 353 were listed as being in intensive care units and 224 were intubated, according to health officials.
Also Tuesday, the facility that will become Boston's second mass coronavirus vaccination clinic opened. The Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury will operate at about 1,000 appointments per week.
And as a gesture of gratitude for their hard work through the coronavirus pandemic, Patriots owner Robert Kraft invited dozens of health care workers from New England to fly to Super Bowl LV with him as his guests.
