BCAT News

Health officials are warning that cases of COVID-19 continue to be high in numerous counties in Massachusetts, including Middlesex County, and are advising residents to take precautions such as mask wearing in public.

According to the CDC, there are 11 counties in the state that they label as having a “high” amount of COVID-19 based on recent data. They include Middlesex, Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Worcester, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth and Dukes. The organization says that people in those counties are advised to wear a mask while indoors in public, stay up to date on vaccinations and to immediately get tested if symptoms are present.

According to its website, The CDC determines community COVID-19 levels by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

Massachusetts has seen a rise in new cases, according to the Mass Department of Public Health. In the reports issued each Thursday, the state has seen increases in the number of new cases (based over a two week period) grow steadily. On May 5 there were 31,689 new cases, on May 12 there were 40,621 new cases, on May 19 there were 49,877 and, most recently, the state reported 50,455 new cases on May 26.

Locally, Burlington has seen an increase in new cases over the same period. On May 5 the town had 120 new cases, on May 12 there were 162 new cases, on May 19 there were 49,877 and, most recently, on May 19 there were 220 new cases and finally on May 26 the town reported 226 new cases.

Fortunately the rise in cases is not in all areas and the schools have seen a decrease. In his weekly Burlington Public Schools update for May 27, Superintendent Eric Conti said the district had 54 reported positive cases for the week. He said this is about half the number the district had seen the two weeks prior.

“We hope that this downward trend continues,” he said.