Massachusetts health officials reported 4,497 new COVID-19 cases and 72 new deaths in the last week, with the new data released Thursday.
In total, there have been 1,925,311 cases and 20,769 deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The state reported that as of Nov.158 there were 156 people primarily hospitalized for COVID-19 and a total of 562 hospitalized patients who have the virus. Of the total hospitalizations, 51 were in intensive care and 14 were intubated.
Massachusetts’ COVID data, tracked on the Department of Public Health’s interactive coronavirus dashboard, has not seen any significant jumps moving into the flu and winter season, at least not yet. Doctors are still encouraging people to get vaccinated to protect against the virus. Meanwhile, hospitals are warning about a surge in pediatric RSV patients, raising concerns about any additional strain on the system.
Massachusetts COVID-19 wastewater data from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority shows relatively stable levels.
The state’s seven-day average positivity was listed at 5.44% Thursday, compared to 5.80% last week.
This spring bump was well below the types of case counts and hospitalizations seen at height of the omicron surge in January, when average daily case counts reached over 28,000 and hospitalizations peaked at around 3,300.
Experts have said that case count reporting became a less accurate indicator during the omicron surge, given the difficulties in getting tested. Now, widespread use of rapid tests means that some results go unreported.
More than 15 million vaccine doses have now been administered in Massachusetts.