BCAT News

Burlington’s COVID-19 numbers continue to incrementally tick up each week.

According to reports from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the town has seen percent positivity rates climb each of the last four week. In the report from March 25 it was 2.8 percent, on April 1 it was 2.83 percent, on April 8 it was 3.52 percent and in the latest report, released on April 15, it was 4.18 percent.

The rise in cases comes as more people get vaccinated. Recently, there were over 20 cases reported at Burlington High School, prompting the administration to move the school to fully remote until May 3.

So is Burlington unique? The state average of percent positivity rates is 2.48 percent. In the area Bedford is at 1.85 and Lexington is at 1.45 while Woburn is at 3.53 and Wilmington is at 3.701. Of Burlington’s neighbors only Billerica has a higher with a 4.82 percent positivity rate.

To get cases back down, health officials still advise everyone to follow the guidelines of wearing masks in public, maintaining social distancing and frequent hand washing.