coronavirus in massachusetts

Boston health officials said Friday they’re concerned about elevated levels of the coronavirus in the city’s wastewater. The concentration of the virus increased by 3.1% over the past week and by nearly 100% over the past two weeks, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. New COVID-19 cases in Boston have decreased slightly over the past week, though the data...

COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts schools have more than doubled over the past week. It’s definitely concerning news for parents, students and school staff. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the new numbers Thursday, which show more than 10,000 positive tests in schools throughout the Commonwealth. Breaking it down, that’s roughly 8,000 students and 2,600 staff members — more…

After being closed for nearly two years, the Massachusetts State House opened its doors to the public Tuesday. The building has been largely closed to all but lawmakers, State House staffers and reporters since the start of the pandemic in Massachusetts in March 2020. The building has been closed to the public for more than 700 days, far longer than…

The Massachusetts State House is throwing open its doors to the public for the first time in nearly two years this week. The building has been largely closed to all but lawmakers, State house staffers and reporters since the start of the pandemic in Massachusetts in March 2020. The public will again be able to enter the building starting Tuesday….

Massachusetts cities and towns, school districts, libraries, public hospitals and other entities will be able to purchase rapid COVID-19 test kits for $5 to $26 per test under a new state contract, the Baker administration announced Wednesday. The administration signed contracts with Ellume Limited, iHealth and Intrivo to make at-home antigen tests available to municipalities and a range of other…

The omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to appear across the country, including right here in New England. Through Wednesday, only one case had been officially reported in Massachusetts by the state Department of Public Health. However, the city of Boston reported three cases of omicron on Wednesday, and the Boston Globe is reporting that as many as 15 cases have…

Lowell has become the latest Massachusetts community to enact an indoor mask mandate amid rising COVID-19 numbers. On Wednesday, the city reported 108 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of more than 23,000 since the pandemic began. The city’s vaccination rate is below the state average, as only 61 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. The new indoor…

Plans for combating COVID-19 this winter are set to be released by the Biden Administration today. Here’s how it could impact Massachusetts.

Amid a rise in COVID cases in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and the threat of the Omicron variant possibly coming, the city is implementing a mask mandate for indoor public spaces, which includes all businesses. It takes effect at 5 a.m. Friday morning. “Many people are asking does this work or doesn’t it work,” said Chelsea resident Marianne Ramos. “Well if...

Some 515,000 students in Massachusetts fall into the age group.

Hospital leaders sounded an alarm Wednesday about the workforce challenges plaguing them as they continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects. “I get that people fully want to go back to some semblance of normal, but our health care organizations don’t have that option,” Steve Walsh, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, said during...

Medical staffers at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester are pleading with nurses to return to work and end a 200-day strike as COVID-19 cases remain high in the area. The request comes as COVID-19 and other factors are putting a big strain on the healthcare system throughout the region.  According to a report in MassLive, the medical staff at...

As COVID cases continue to surge in Massachusetts, many hospitals and urgent care clinics are at full capacity. With new cases every day, there’s been an influx of patients at these facilities, but the shortage of medical staff workers still continues, leaving these facilities stressed and overworked. Several patients who have delayed their treatment by not visiting a doctor...

Cases and deaths from COVID-19 are expected to rise in many states, including Massachusetts, as the nation struggles to grapple with the highly contagious delta variant, according to multiple modeling projections. Two disease models, one from the University of Washington and another from a team of Massachusetts scientists, predict a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the fall, The…

The transmission rate of COVID-19 is now considered to be “high” or “substantial” in more than half of the state’s 14 counties with residents of and visitors to Barnstable and Nantucket counties considered to be the most at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nine counties now fall under the CDC’s updated guidance recommending that...

The popular Middle East restaurant and nightclub in Cambridge will require patrons to provide proof that they have been vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a statement from the venue on Monday. “With the Delta Variant currently ripping through the country, The Middle East has made the tough decision to require proof of Covid-19 vaccination as part of entry requirements to…

Massachusetts health officials are reporting 56 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths on Saturday. The day’s numbers pushed the state’s confirmed COVID-19 case total to 663,594 since the start of the pandemic and its death toll to 17,625. The state’s COVID data, tracked on the Department of Public Health’s interactive coronavirus dashboard, have fallen that its state of...

With hours remaining before Massachusetts’ coronavirus state of emergency declaration expires, some state lawmakers are working to keep some of the pandemic-related policies that have been in place over the past year. Gov. Charlie Baker on May 17 announced his plans to end the state of emergency that’s been in effect since March 2020, and said his timeline would give…

Massachusetts schools this week reported 103 new COVID-19 cases among students and staff members, marking another decline in cases compared to the previous week. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the numbers Thursday in its weekly COVID-19 report. A total of 85 students and 18 employees with district building access within seven days of the report tested positive…

Massachusetts schools this week reported 130 new COVID-19 cases among students and staff members, marking a sharp decline in cases compared to the previous week. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the numbers Thursday in its weekly COVID-19 report. A total of 117 students and 13 employees with district building access within seven days of the report…