BOSTON -- More than 3 million molecular COVID-19 tests have now been administered in Massachusetts, and more than a million were performed on people who had already been tested previously.
Meanwhile, in Fall River, the city recorded 11 new cases over the weekend, and four new deaths attributed to COVID-19, according to Mayor Paul Coogan.
The city recorded five new cases Saturday, five on Sunday and one on Monday. The four deaths bring the city's total to 131.
According to Monday's report from the Department of Public Health, a total of 3,038,625 COVID-19 tests have been administered, and 1,968,234 individuals have been tested for COVID-19. Those tests have yielded a total of 123,139 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including the 235 reported Monday.
Monday marked the date once eyed for a rescheduled running of the Boston Marathon, which organizers postponed on March 13, when there were 108 COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts. Eleven weeks later, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced that this year, the marathon would not take place in person at all.
"While our goal and our hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this type of event would not be possible or realistic on Sept. 14 or any time this year," Walsh said on May 28.
Instead, the Boston Athletic Association conducted a "virtual marathon" this past week, with runners completing the 26.2 miles on their own. Gov. Charlie Baker plans to join a virtual post-race celebration at 8 p.m. Monday with BAA officials.
Along the traditional Boston Marathon route, Newton officials have their eyes on the number of COVID-19 cases being reported out of Boston College. Newton is also among the many communities grappling with fiscal uncertainty as they cope with the pandemic's economic toll.
Hospitalizations Down To Start the Week
Massachusetts public health officials confirmed 235 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and announced nine recent COVID-19 deaths.
The Department of Public Health said the 235 new cases came from tests of 12,201 people, which works out to a single-day positive test rate of 1.9 percent. The agency said the seven-day average of the COVID-19 positive test rate remains at 0.8 percent.
There were 302 people hospitalized in Massachusetts with COVID-19 as of midday Monday, a decrease of 11 from Sunday. Of the 302 hospitalized patients, 63 are being treated in an intensive care unit, including 17 who are on a ventilator. The new cases confirmed Monday raised the state's total COVID-19 caseload to 123,139 people since Feb. 1.
The recent deaths announced Monday bring the state's death toll, counting people who have died with confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, to 9,219 people since mid-March.
ACLU Campaign Highlights Safe Ways to Vote
"Voting-themed face masks" and a weekly podcast miniseries about the 2020 elections will be among the features of a new "Let People Vote" campaign launched Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union to mark 50 days to Election Day.
The campaign intends to encourage people to make plans to vote and to inform them of ways to vote safely during the pandemic.
The campaign features a website with state-by-state information, and the page for Massachusetts notes that all voters can cast their ballots by mail this year in light of COVID-19 and that there are 44 days remaining to request a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 election. -
Lincoln-Sudbury HS Going Remote
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is the latest school to scale back or postpone its in-person learning plans abruptly after students were allegedly caught at a party without public health precautions.
Sudbury's Board of Health said Sunday that police found "approximately 50-60" students at a single gathering Saturday night "not wearing masks or practicing social distancing," many of whom reportedly fled the scene or gave false information to officers.
While no COVID-19 cases have been traced to the event, Sudbury's Board of Health said officials and district leaders agreed to delay the high school's in-person return planned for Tuesday as a precaution.
"Due to lack of information of who attended the event and the inability to consult directly with those students, the risk to the school community cannot be adequately assessed," health officials wrote in a press release, noting that they are unaware if students from other towns attended the gathering.
Lincoln-Sudbury is at least the fifth district to alter education plans over the past week due to new COVID-19 risks. Dedham also imposed a delay following an apparent party involving students, while Lynnfield, Nantucket and the Northeast Metro Tech in Wakefield that draws many students from Revere also opted to switch to fully remote models for the foreseeable future amid clusters of infections in their communities.