Coronavirus

Mass. Reports 150 More Coronavirus Deaths, 1,840 More Cases

Nationwide, the number of cases topped 1 million on Tuesday, and Massachusetts remains the state with the third-most cases

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Another 150 people in Massachusetts have died after testing positive for the new coronavirus, and 1,840 more have contracted the virus.

Tuesday's report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health comes a day after the state's death toll topped 3,000. It now stands at 3,153.

And a total of 58,302 people have now tested positive for the virus in the Bay State.

Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker extends the stay-at-home advisory and closure of non-essential businesses until May 18.

Nationwide, the number of cases topped 1 million on Tuesday, and Massachusetts remains the state with the third most cases, behind only New York and New Jersey, according to NBC News' count.

Its death toll is still the fourth-highest, with Michigan joining New York and New Jersey above Massachusetts on the list.

More than 9,500 people were tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and only 19% tested positive. That's up slightly from the 17% who had tested positive in the past two days, but still far lower than percentages in the high 20s and low 30s that predominated in April.

"Operation America Strong" paired the US Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds in a coordinated flyover over New York City on Tuesday

The number of daily cases and fatalities is seen as a way to gauge when and how to safely reopen the economy. Gov. Charlie Baker said earlier Tuesday that the number of cases has plateaued but has not begun to decline -- one of his requirements for reopening.

He extended Massachusetts' stay-at-home advisory and non-essential business closure, damping the hopes of some residents that the measures meant to stop the spread of the virus would soon be eased.

Coronavirus Infection Rates in Mass. Cities and Towns

While Middlesex County has the most deaths in Massachusetts, with 731, Hampden County has its highest death rate, 73 per 100,000 residents. That's followed by Norfolk (63 per 100,000), Suffolk (58 per 100,000) and Plymouth (49 per 100,000) counties.

Middlesex County continues to have the most coronavirus cases, with 13,417, followed by Suffolk at 12,140, Essex at 7,972 and Norfolk at 5,567. But Suffolk County leads the way in terms of cases per capita, with 1,494 cases per 100,000 residents. No other county has more than 999 cases per 100,000.

Just 7% of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are in the hospital, and only 46% of the hospital beds in the state are occupied, according to the Department of Public Health. There are 1,005 people in the state's intensive care units.

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