Massachusetts health officials reported another 405 confirmed COVID cases and five more deaths Saturday as the average positivity rate dropped below 1%.
The new numbers pushed the state's confirmed case total to 659,246 and the death toll to 17,458 since the beginning of the pandemic.
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Massachusetts' COVID metrics, tracked on the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, have fallen far enough that Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday announced the end of business restrictions on May 29.
On Saturday, for the first time since late September, the seven-day average test rate for COVID-19 dropped just below a percent, to 0.99%.
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The number of patients in Massachusetts hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 cases fell to 281, the first time below 300 since early October. Of those currently hospitalized, 81 are listed as being in intensive care units and 46 are intubated.
Health officials' projection of active COVID-19 cases continues to fall, dropping to 10,366 on Saturday from 10,939 Friday.
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Nearly 7.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts as of Saturday, including more than 4 million first doses and more than 3.1 million second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There have been nearly 240,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered.
Health officials reported that 3,419,127 Bay State residents had been fully vaccinated as of Saturday. Gov. Charlie Baker is aiming to reach 4.1 million fully vaccinated by the beginning of June, a goal he's said remains within reach.
