Almost an entire year has come and gone since we first heard of COVID-19. Here’s a timeline of what we’ve learned.
Massachusetts has now confirmed more than 500,000 coronavirus cases after recording 2,270 on Monday, along with 30 deaths.
The milestone comes on the one-year anniversary of the very first COVID-19 case reported in the Bay State in a Boston student.
There have now been 500,415 confirmed cases and 14,317 deaths in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Public Health. Another 290 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19.
Generally, Massachusetts' coronavirus metrics have been trending down, according to the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, with the average number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths peaking in the second week of January. The testing rate peaked Jan. 1. 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.
The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, decreased to 3.53% from 3.61% the previous day, the department said Monday.
The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 held at 1,676. Of that number, 373 were listed as being in intensive care units and 222 were intubated, according to health officials.
The number of estimated active cases dropped to 71,929 on Monday from 71,948 on Sunday.
The virus has changed daily life in Massachusetts since it was first detected -- though researchers have said it was likely circulating locally before then.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh addressed the grim anniversary Monday, saying, "The pandemic has turned our city and our world upside down. Living with this virus has not been easy for anyone."
