BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported an additional 288 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 119,426.
State health officials also confirmed 22 new COVID-19-related deaths across Massachusetts, bringing the state's confirmed coronavirus death toll to 8,853.
The number of communities categorized by the state as at the highest risk for COVID-19 spread fell again in the latest weekly report, as one town moved onto the list and two others were downgraded to lower risk levels.
The state as a whole falls into the moderate risk "yellow" category, with an average daily incidence rate of 4.2 per 100,000 residents.
Communities with fewer than five cases are not assigned a color designation, regardless of case rate, and are left "unshaded" on the DPH's chart and map. In the Fall River area, no towns are listed in this category anymore. Somerset and Freetown are listed as "green" which means they have less than 4 cases per 100,000 population. Swansea, Fall River and Westport are listed as "yellow" which means 4 to 8 cases per 100,000 population.
Because the rates are based on population, lower case numbers have a bigger impact on the status of smaller towns.
Seven communities remain coded red from last week -- Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Revere and Winthrop. Of those, the highest rate is in Chelsea, with 29.4 cases per 100,000 residents, down from 31.9 last week. Nearby Revere, home to the next highest rate, experienced a slight uptick, from 20.4 last week to 20.9.
Here are the numbers locally:
FALL RIVER - 1,947 total cases, 64 cases in the last 14 days, average daily incidence rate of 5.1 in past 14 days, 1.84% positivity, rated "yellow"
FREETOWN - 117 total cases, 5 cases in the last 14 days, average daily incidence rate of 3.9 in past 14 days, 1.75% positivity, rated "green"
SOMERSET- 228 total cases, 6 cases in the last 14 days, average daily incidence rate of 2.3 in past 14 days, 0.92% positivity, rated "green"
SWANSEA - 172 total cases, 17 cases in the last 14 days, average daily incidence rate of 7.6 in past 14 days, 2.77% positivity, rated "green"
WESTPORT - 125 total cases, 14 cases in the last 14 days, average daily incidence rate of 6.0 in past 14 days, 2.12% positivity, rated "green"
More than 2.47 million molecular tests for COVID-19 have now been administered in the state.
The rolling average of the positive test rate is now approximately 1.0%, DPH reported, as it has been for the past nine days. The three day average for hospitalizations was 314 (the lowest it's been is 302). The three day average deaths was 14 (the lowest it's been is 11).
As of Wednesday, 308 patients with the coronavirus were hospitalized in Massachusetts, with 58 in an intensive care unit and 29 intubated. A month ago, there were 406 hospitalized, 68 in the ICU and 33 intubated.
Morton Hospital reported zero patients; a month ago, they had one patient, none in the ICU.
Charlton had two patients, none in the ICU; a month ago, they had four patients, with one in the ICU.
St. Luke's had two patients, none in the ICU; a month ago, they had one patient, none in the ICU.
Saint Anne's had one patient, none in the ICU; a month ago, they had one patient, none in the ICU.
In addition, the state's number of probable COVID-19 cases dropped to 1,705 as the DPH adopted an updated national case definition that was recently endorsed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A probable case is now defined as as people with a positive antigen test, with COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on a death certificate, or with appropriate symptoms and likely exposure -- which is now restricted to known contact with a case or association with a specific outbreak.
The previous definition allowed for people with a positive COVID-19 antibody test and those who had symptoms and likely exposure to be included as probable cases. Individuals with positive (antibody) tests have been placed in a new suspect category, which is not reportable to CDC.
- Includes reporting from State House News Service and WCVB.