coronavirus

10 New Coronavirus Deaths, 165 Additional Cases in Mass.

That's a slight downturn after the state reported more than 600 cases over the previous two days

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Massachusetts reported 10 new coronavirus deaths on Monday along with an additional 165 confirmed cases.

Three hundred and seventy five people remain hospitalized with COVID-19, 64 in intensive care units.

State officials had reported 290 confirmed new cases on Saturday, some of which were based on older tests, and 353 more on Sunday. Those numbers are still nowhere near the thousands of cases per day announced during the peak in mid-April, but trend directions on some main metrics have reversed or remained flat.

The statewide positive test rate, calculated as a seven-day weighted rolling average, has climbed from a low of 1.7% on July 14 to 2% on Aug. 2, according to the Department of Public Health.

During the worst of the pandemic in Massachusetts, the rate sat in the high 20s and low 30s. In late July, that average rate hit 2% for the first time since late June.

Gov. Charlie Baker said last week that his administration is reviewing the gathering limits of 25 people for indoor spaces and up to 100 people for outdoor events, depending on the size of the venue.

He also pointed to individual behavior as largely responsible for the new cases.

"The bigger issue is not so much the nature of the size of some of these gatherings, especially the private ones that are going on in backyards and places like that," Baker said Thursday. "The bigger issue is honestly the behavior generally at those, which is not socially distant, no masks and in some respects a lack of respect for how this virus works and how it moves from person to person."

Massachusetts is investigating at least eight potential COVID-19 clusters due to people holding gatherings without wearing masks or social distancing, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders on Friday called the slight growth in positive tests "a slow creep," echoing the call for residents to maintain precautions such as face coverings and avoiding crowds.

When administration officials unveiled their plans to bring some sectors of public life back on a gradual basis, they said they would track the status of six key metrics: positive test rate, deaths from COVID-19, hospitalizations, health care system readiness, testing capacity, and contact tracing capabilities.

Baker had no public events over the weekend and his office did not release the governor's schedule for Monday.

State House News Service contributed to this report.

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