Half of the state’s 14 counties are now considered a high risk for community transmission of COVID-19.
Massachusetts health officials reported 10,789 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend and nine new deaths on Monday.
In total, there have been 1,674,693 cases and 19,261 deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday the state reported more than 5,000 new cases -- prior to that, the last time there were over 5,000 new cases reported in a single day was at the end of January.
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The state reported 739 people hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Monday's data release. Of the total hospitalizations, 68 are in intensive care and 27 are intubated.
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Massachusetts' COVID metrics, tracked on the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, have declined since the omicron surge, but case counts have been on an upward trajectory in recent weeks.
This latest increase is being attributed to subvariants of omicron -- the "stealth" omicron variant BA.2, and the BA.2. 12.1 subvariant, which health officials say appears to be up to 27% more contagious than BA.2. However, there is no data to indicate it causes more serious illness.
The state's seven-day average positivity rate dropped to 8.48% Monday, compared to 8.68% on Friday.
For context, the numbers are still below the types of case counts and hospitalizations seen at height of the omicron surge in January, when average daily case counts reached over 28,000 and hospitalizations peaked at around 3,300.
COVID levels in wastewater, as reported by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's tracking system are also increasing, with current levels reflecting a range we last saw in February when we were coming down from the peak of the omicron wave.
It's important to note that the levels of virus seen in the wastewater remain nowhere near where they were during the peak of the omicron surge.
Experts have also said that case count reporting became a less accurate indicator during the omicron surge, given the difficulties in getting tested. Now, widespread use of rapid tests means that some results go unreported.
More than 14.6 million vaccine doses have now been administered in Massachusetts.
Health officials on Monday reported that a total of 5,374,226 Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated.
