COVID-19

New England Virus Transmission Up, Renewing Calls for Masks

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that all the counties in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts are the sites of high or substantial transmission of COVID-19.

The rise of transmission in the two states mirrors a nationwide and regional trend.

Some health authorities are recommending that vaccinated people go back to wearing masks indoors in areas of high or substantial transmission. That includes almost all of New England.

The CDC reported that every county in the six-state region was the site of high or substantial transmission on Sunday except Orange County, Vermont, and Kennebec County, Maine.

In Connecticut, New London, New Haven, Middlesex and Hartford counties were the site of high transmission and the other four counties in the state were listed in the substantial category. In Massachusetts, Suffolk, Nantucket, Dukes, Plymouth, Bristol, Essex, Hampden and Berkshire counties were the site of high transmission and the other six counties in the state were substantial.

New England continues to pace the nation in COVID-19 vaccine use, and Massachusetts is close to Vermont for the highest rate in the region.

About 74% of Massachusetts has had a first dose of vaccine. Only Vermont is higher at 75%. All six states are above 65%. The nationwide number if a little less than 60%.

The New England states and Hawaii continue to have some of the highest vaccination rates in the country.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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