See your town's numbers: Sharp drop in South Shore COVID-19 cases in latest state report
QUINCY – The number of new COVID-19 cases across the region dropped sharply in the latest statistics released Thursday by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, but the numbers do not include those who tested positive at home.
Overall, the number of new cases for the two weeks ending Jan. 22 across the South Shore was 13,313 – 35% decline from the 20,490 cases for the two weeks ending Jan. 15. Cases also declined in all 23 of the municipalities included in the survey.
"We are definitely seeing a downward trend," Braintree's Director of Municipal Licenses and Inspections Marybeth McGrath told the town's school committee Monday.
The state's statistics only include lab-confirmed tests, not cases discovered in the increasingly prevalent home tests.
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For instance, the Braintree schools will begin distributing home tests to students next week.
Braintree reported 36 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the town's total since the start of the pandemic two years ago to 9,179 cases. The town has reported fewer than 100 new cases a day since Jan. 16.
Quincy reported 89 new cases on Thursday, bringing the city's total for the pandemic to 19,109. The city has had 160 deaths from COVID-19.
The city has had 78% of its eligible residents vaccinated for the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. Of that group, 40% have received boosters.
The state health department reported 8,616 new cases statewide Thursday, as compared to 14,384 a week earlier. The total number of Massachusetts cases for the pandemic is 1,466,315.
There were 84 new deaths reported Thursday, bringing the total for the pandemic to 21,271.
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The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 declined from 3,114 a week earlier to 2,521 on Thursday, the state reported. There were fewer people in intensive care units, with 396 on Thursday, down from 462 a week earlier. There were 237 people intubated, 43 less than the prior week.
The following is a list of the number of cases by community over the two weeks ending Jan. 22, the daily rate of cases per 100,000 people over the two week period and the total number of cases since the pandemic began. The statistics do not include results of home tests.
Abington — 393 cases; 154 rate; 3,631 total
Braintree — 912 cases; 164.3 rate; 8,311 total
Carver — 254 cases; 148.1 rate; 2,058 total
Cohasset — 111 cases; 107.8 rate; 1,027 total
Duxbury — 291 cases; 137.5 rate; 2,328 total
Halifax — 154 cases; 143.9 rate; 1,352 total
Hanover — 458 cases; 227.5 rate; 3,741 total
Hanson — 264 cases; 175.2 rate; 2,094 total
Hingham — 398 cases; 118.4 rate; 3,807 total
Holbrook — 341 cases; 214.9 rate; 2,470 total
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Hull — 120 cases; 87.5 rate; 1,241 total
Kingston — 319 cases; 166.7 rate; 2,697 total.
Marshfield —507 cases; 139.7 rate; 4,029 total
Milton — 623 cases; 154.8 rate; 5.358 total
Norwell — 248 cases; 165.3 rate; 1873 total
Pembroke — 484 cases; 184.2 rate; 3,357 total
Plymouth — 1,587 cases; 180.7 rate; 12,203 total
Quincy — 2,250 cases; 158.3 rate; 17,118 total
Randolph — 1,160 cases; 240.6 rate; 9,144 total
Rockland — 451 cases; 178.1 rate; 4,045 total
Scituate — 278 cases; 109.7 rate; 2,689 total
Weymouth — 1,355 cases; 172.3 rate; 11,047 total
Whitman — 355 cases; 163.2 rate; 3,116 total
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: State DPH weekly report shows a sharp drop in local COVID-19 cases
