COVID cases up in New Bedford, Dartmouth, Acushnet and Fairhaven

Linda Roy, Standard-Times
·4 min read

The increase in COVID-19 cases New Bedford rose sharply last week reaching levels the city hasn't seen since Jan. 28. The increase in cases has also risen in Acushnet, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven.

The Nov. 25 report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health showed an increase of 485 new COVID-19 cases in New Bedford. There was an increase of 321 new cases the week before. The last time the increase in the number of cases this high was Jan. 28 with 715.

According to data from the MDPH as of Nov. 25, the following cities and towns have reported the difference in new positive COVID-19 cases over the past week:

Acushnet: 61 (compared to 28 the week before)

Dartmouth: 101 (compared to 78 the week before)

Fairhaven: 69 (compared to 27 the week before)

New Bedford: 485 (compared to 321 the week before)

Cases of COVID in Greater New Bedford schools

*Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the next positive COVID-19 case report will be released on Dec. 2, and cover the time period from Nov. 18 to Dec. 1, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported.

Vaccination rates

New Bedford vaccination rates as of Nov. 25 stands at 60,469 individuals partially vaccinated and 51,719 fully vaccinated out of the total 99,980 population.

According to state data as of Nov. 25, the following cities and towns have reported rates of partially and fully vaccinated residents in comparison to total population. Fully vaccinated individuals are two weeks out from receiving either the second dose or the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen one-dose vaccine.

Acushnet

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 68%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 61%

Dartmouth

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 63%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 55%

Fairhaven

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 72%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 63%

New Bedford

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 60%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 52%

Children ages 5-11 vaccinated as of Nov. 25 with at least one dose

New Bedford: 618 out of 8,681

Acushnet: 74 out of 732

Dartmouth: 285 out of 2,290

Fairhaven: 153 out of 978

Hospitalizations

According to state data as of Nov. 25, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford has a total of 26 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations including ICU. The hospital has a total of 4 confirmed COVID-19 ICU Census. There were 24 confirmed cases and 4 ICU census in the previous week’s report.

Vaccine clinics and testing in New Bedford:

NOTE: All minors need parental consent, provided either in advance online, or in-person at the school or location where the Pfizer for ages 12+ are being offered.

Tuesday, Nov. 30: Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (874 Purchase St.) – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J

Former Fire Station 11 (754 Brock Ave.) – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., J&J, Pfizer and Moderna; pediatric vaccines for children 5 – 11 years old

Thursday, Dec. 2:

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (874 Purchase St.) – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J

Friday, Dec. 3:

PAACA (360 Coggeshall St.) – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., J&J, Pfizer and Moderna; pediatric vaccines for children 5 – 11 years old

Saturday, Dec. 4:

Pilgrim Church Home (634 Purchase St.) – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J

Monday, Dec. 6:

Andrea McCoy Recreation Center (181 Hillman St.) – 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J; pediatric vaccines for children 5 – 11 years old

Several COVID-19 testing sites are available in New Bedford and can be found on the state’s Stop the Spread website: www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test

Find local pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines by entering your zip code at: http://www.vaxfinder.mass.gov

To schedule an in-home vaccination with the New Bedford Health Department, call the department’s main line, 508-991-6199, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Booster Shots Approved for Eligible Recipients: The CDC has approved booster recommendations for Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines. Booster shots are available at local vaccine clinics, for people who are eligible under the following criteria.

Anyone 18 and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is eligible for a booster shot six months or more after their initial series.

Bring your vaccination card when getting a booster shot, to verify eligibility.

For anyone 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, a booster shot is recommended two months or more after their initial shot.

Standard-Times digital producer Linda Roy can be reached at lroy@s-t.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @LindaRoy_SCT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: COVID case increases in New Bedford, Dartmouth, Acushnet and Fairhaven