Massachusetts public health officials confirmed 2,274 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the highest increase since Feb. 7.
There were 39 more deaths from COVID-19, as well, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In total, there have been 586,298 confirmed cases and 16,671 people have died.
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Another 339 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19, health officials said.
Massachusetts' coronavirus metrics had been trending downward to start the year, though some, like the average number of new cases per day and average number of tests returning positive, have leveled off in recent weeks, according to the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard. 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.
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The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, effectively held steady at 2.2%, a slight decrease from a day earlier.
The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 increased to 631. Thursday was the fourth straight day that number has grown, having gone up by three since Wednesday. Among hospitalized patients, 137 were listed as being in intensive care units and 87 were intubated, according to health officials.
The number of estimated active cases increased to 28,078 from 27,374 on Wednesday, the fourth day in a row it's risen.
Boston's new mayor, Kim Janey, was sworn in Wednesday, and she vowed to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccinations and close racial equity gaps.
