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Virus Hotspots Identified As Mass. Releases Town-By-Town Data For First Time

Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said town-by-town COVID-19 data will help "identify potential hotspots."
Sam Doran
/
State House News Service
Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said town-by-town COVID-19 data will help "identify potential hotspots."

Chelsea, Brockton, Randolph and Williamstown are the four Massachusetts communities with the highest rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, according to municipal-level data released by state health officials for the first time on Wednesday. 

The town-by-town data, which reflects case information as of Tuesday, paints a new and more acute picture of how the dangerous and contagious virus has hit the state. The Department of Public Health on Wednesday also began posting a breakdown of where COVID-19 patients are hospitalized.

"Having the ability to look at this virus through the lens of its impact on specific cities and towns will help us identify potential hotspots, inform the public health response, assist cities and towns working to slow the spread and help the state appropriately deploy resources," Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 29,918 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and 132,023 people had been tested for the disease.

The state's fatality count surpassed 1,000 for the first time, hitting 1,108 with 151 new deaths reported. Almost 48 percent, or 530, of those deaths were reported in long-term care facilities.

Most cases

Boston, the state's most populous city, accounted for 16 percent of the total number of cases included in the municipal breakdown, with 4,609.

Springfield, while the third most populous city in the state, had the eighth most number of confirmed cases, at 542. Seven other western Massachusetts communities also had more than 100 cases: Agawam, Chicopee, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Pittsfield, West Springfield and Westfield.

Cases per 100,000 residents

The rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 residents was highest in Chelsea, at 1,890. Chelsea, which had 712 individual cases, has been identified by state officials as a hotspot for the virus, and Gov. Charlie Baker has said the state is working with the city to increase testing capacity and provide meals and isolation space.

Statewide, the rate was 487.76 cases per 100,000. Chelsea, Brockton (1,223), Randolph (1,072.5) and Williamstown (1,004) all had rates per 100,000 that were more than double the statewide case rate.

Williamstown, a Berkshire County community with a population of less than 8,000, is by far the smallest of those four municipalities, and reached its relatively high rate with 74 cases.

In addition to Williamstown, other western Massachusetts communities on the higher end for case rates included Longmeadow (825), Holyoke (740), Agawam (587), Becket (555), Greenfield (541). All but Becket have had well-publicized outbreaks at long-term care facilities.

No cases or little public data

Twenty-two of the 351 communities in Massachusetts, nearly all small towns in the western part of the state, reported zero COVID-19 cases. That includes Alford, Charlemont, Chesterfield, Heath, Hawley, Leyden, Middlefield, Monroe, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Ashford, New Salem, Plainfield, Rowe, Tolland, Warwick, Wendell, Windsor and Worthington.

For 59 communities with populations under 50,000 and fewer than five cases, the Department of Public Health did not provide exact case numbers or a rate, a move officials said was to preserve patient confidentiality.

Address information was unknown for 506 patients, and the DPH said that information was being obtained when the list was compiled.

The Department of Public Health plans to release updated municipal breakdowns each Wednesday. 

Much of this story was written by State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan, with some additional language from NEPR's Sam Hudzik.

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