Massachusetts health officials reported another 2,716 confirmed COVID-19 cases -- the most in one day since February -- and 15 new deaths Wednesday.
The report pushed the state's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 734,280 since the start of the pandemic and its death toll to 18,030. The last time at least 2,716 new COVID cases were reported in one day was Feb. 7.
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Health officials noted, however, that Wednesday's data "include a backlog of testing results from September 10-September 13 not previously reported to DPH. This resulted in an increase to today’s reported case counts."
Massachusetts' COVID metrics, tracked on the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, dashboard, are far lower than they were in spring, and while all of the major ones have risen from their lowest points, some have dipped in recent weeks.
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Massachusetts' seven-day average of positive tests rose to 2.44% Wednesday. It was once above 30%, but had dropped under 0.5% until the delta variant began surging in the state.
The number of patients in Massachusetts hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 cases fell to 706; the figure was once nearly 4,000, but averaged under 85 at one point in July. Of those currently hospitalized, 200 are fully vaccinated, 173 are in intensive care units and 93 are intubated.
More than 9.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in Massachusetts. That includes short of 4.8 million first shots and nearly 4.3 million second shots of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There have been more than 307,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered.
Health officials on Wednesday reported that a total of 4,565,377 Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated.
