Bristol County's COVID cases fall 6.8%; Massachusetts cases fall 3.8%
Massachusetts reported 9,942 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 3.8% from the previous week. The previous week had 10,340 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Massachusetts ranked fifth among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 7.7% from the week before, with 298,674 cases reported. With 2.07% of the country's population, Massachusetts had 3.33% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 13 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Bristol County reported 694 cases and six deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 745 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 171,152 cases and 2,278 deaths.
Newport County reported 138 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 118 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 24,467 cases and 99 deaths.
Across Massachusetts, cases fell in nine counties, with the best declines in Middlesex County, with 1,786 cases from 1,918 a week earlier; in Hampshire County, with 202 cases from 294; and in Worcester County, with 991 cases from 1,081.
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Within Massachusetts, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Berkshire County with 190 cases per 100,000 per week; Hampden County with 182; and Barnstable County with 140. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Middlesex County, with 1,786 cases; Suffolk County, with 1,020 cases; and Worcester County, with 991. Weekly case counts rose in three counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Suffolk, Berkshire and Plymouth counties.
In Massachusetts, 65 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 60 people were reported dead.
A total of 2,060,884 people in Massachusetts have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 21,771 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,699,237 people have tested positive and 1,062,564 people have died.
Note: For Massachusetts, Johns Hopkins University reports data in a combined health department for Dukes and Nantucket counties. Those two counties may appear without any cases, and this will skew rankings of counties.
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Massachusetts's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 9. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 1,482
The week before that: 1,440
Four weeks ago: 1,200
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 50,835
The week before that: 49,835
Four weeks ago: 58,231
Hospitals in 18 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 15 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 29 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Bristol County reported 694 additional COVID-19 cases this week
