Massachusetts public health officials have now confirmed more than 580,000 coronavirus cases as 1,103 more were reported Monday, along with 27 new deaths.
The update puts the total of confirmed cases at 580,683 and the death toll at 16,558, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Another 336 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19.
Massachusetts' coronavirus metrics had been trending downward to start the year, though some, like the average number of new cases per day and average number of tests returning positive, have leveled off in recent weeks, according to the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard. The figures reported daily are important for tracking trends with the virus' spread, though a single-day change may not reflect a larger trend, and may reflect incomplete data.
The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, ticked up to 2% from 1.95%.
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The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 increased to 603. Of that number, 145 were listed as being in intensive care units and 88 were intubated, according to health officials.
The number of estimated active cases increased to 27,341 from 27,113 on Sunday.
Also on Monday, a slew of changes went into effect in Massachusetts. The state entered Phase 4, Step 1 of its reopening plan, while more groups became eligible to sign up for vaccinations and the travel order converted to a less-strict travel advisory.
