Charlestown’s weekly COVID positive test rate dropped last week but still remains near 15 percent as Boston health officials grapple with new, more contagious stains of the virus.
The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) reported that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. Last week adult COVID-19 hospitalizations in Boston were 208.7 per day, 8.7 over the 200 per day threshold. This metric helps the BPHC understand the burden of serious COVID-19 cases among adults resulting in inpatient care in Boston hospitals.
Last week, 492 Charlestown residents were tested for the virus last week and 14.8 percent were positive–this was a two percent decrease from the 15.1 percent that tested positive as reported by the BPHC on May 23.
Seventy three additional Charlestown residents contracted the virus between May 23 and May 30 and there have now been 4,304 confirmed cases in the neighborhood since the start of the pandemic.
Boston’s citywide weekly positive test rate also decreased last week but remains above 11 percent.
According to the BPHC 18,277 residents were tested citywide last week and 11.1 percent were COVID positive–this was a four percent decrease from the 11.6 percent that reportedly tested positive for the week ending on May 23.
The statistics released by the BPHC as part of its weekly COVID19 report breaks down the number of cases and infection rates in each neighborhood. It also breaks down the number of cases by age, gender and race.
Citywide positive cases of coronavirus increased 1.1 percent last week and went from 186,446 to 188,509 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.
There were three additional deaths in Boston from the virus in the past week and the total number of COVID deaths is now at 1,469.
The Boston Public Health Commission strongly recommends residents:
Wear high-quality, well-fitting masks indoors and on public transportation;
Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters;
Stay home if you feel sick;
Ensure proper indoor ventilation by opening windows when possible;
Gather outdoors as the weather warms, instead of indoors;
Test for COVID-19; and
Contact your health care provider about anti-viral treatment if diagnosed with COVID-19.