According to the latest data from the Department of Public Health, the number of Massachusetts communities classified as ‘high risk’ for the transmission of COVID-19 continued on Thursday.
There are now 66 cities and towns with the highest risk rating as of Thursday. Last week, the number of cities and towns indicated as high risk was 110, down from 153 the previous week.
This represents a 40% decrease in the number of high-risk communities compared to last week, and a 30.5% decrease in the number of individuals living in high-risk communities.
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Here are the cities and towns that are currently at high risk by country:
Barnstable County: Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans
Bristol County: Acushnet, Berkley, Dighton, Fall River, Freetown, New Bedford, Raynham, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, Westport
Essex County: Boxford, Georgetown, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynn, Methuen, Peabody, Saugus
Franklin County: Sunderland
Hampden County: Chicopee, Holyoke, Ludlow, Southwick, Springfield
Hampshire County: Southampton, Ware
Middlesex County: Ayer, Dracut, Littleton, Lowell, North Reading
Norfolk County: Cohasset, Plainville, Weymouth
Plymouth County: Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Lakeville, Marion, Middleborough, Plymouth, Rockland, West Bridgewater, Whitman
Suffolk County: Chelsea, Revere
Worcester County: Blackstone, Bolton, Clinton, Douglas, Gardner, Lancaster, Leominster, Oxford, Rutland, Southbridge, Sterling, Templeton, Westminster
Risk designations – which are colored, gray, green, yellow and red based on infection levels – are determined using several new measures for three population categories: communities with a population of less than 10,000; between 10,000 and 50,000; and more than 50,000.
For communities with less than 10,000 inhabitants, ‘gray’ is awarded if there are ten cases; “Green” if there are 15 cases; “Yellow” if there are up to 25 cases; and “red” if there are more than 25 cases.
For communities with between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, ‘gray’ is awarded if there are ten cases or less; “Green” if there are less than 10 average cases per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 10 cases; “Yellow” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 inhabitants or a test positivity rate of 5% or more; and “red” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 inhabitants and a test positivity rate of 5% or more.
And for communities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, ‘gray’ will be awarded if there are a total of 15 cases; “Green” if there are less than 10 average cases per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 15 cases; “Yellow” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 inhabitants or a test positivity rate of 4% or more; and “red” if there are 10 or more cases per 100,000 inhabitants and a test positivity rate of 4% or more.
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