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NINE NORTH SHORE COMMUNITIES IN COVID RED
BY GAYLA CAWLEY| January 15, 2021
Nine local North Shore communities are in the red this week as the state’s post-holiday surge in coronavirus cases continues.
Marblehead joins Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott in the red, the state’s designation for communities at high risk for COVID-19 spread.
Locally, Lynn continues to see the worst surge, with a positive test rate that is among the highest in the state.
At 14.46 percent, the city’s positive test rate dipped slightly from last week, but is still 10th highest in the state over the past 14 days, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH).
Lynn’s average daily incidence rate saw a significant uptick this week, which increased from 99.6 to 128.2 new cases per 100,000 residents, according to the DPH.
Eighty-five new cases and two additional deaths were reported in Lynn on Friday to bring the city’s caseload to 13,254 and its death toll to 170. Of that total, 1,934 cases are active and 11,150 people have recovered from the virus, according to city data.
Three other local communities — Peabody, Revere, and Saugus — have double-digit positive test rates and triple-digit daily incidence rates over the past 14 days, according to the DPH.
Revere has a daily incidence rate of 141.2 new cases per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 13.03 percent, according to the DPH.
Eighty-four new cases were reported in Revere on Friday, which brings the city’s total numbers to 7,992 cases and 132 deaths, according to the city website.
Numbers were not updated in Saugus (2,808 cases, 53 deaths) on Friday. The town has a daily incidence rate of 127.9 new cases per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 11.37 percent over the past two weeks, according to the DPH.
In Peabody (5,108 cases, 253 deaths), 150 new cases and four additional deaths have been reported since Wednesday, according to the health department. The city’s positive test rate is 10.27 percent and its daily incidence rate is 114.6 new cases per 100,000 residents, according to the DPH.
Newly red community Marblehead has reported 74 new cases since last week, which brings the town’s total numbers to 863 cases and 31 deaths. The town’s daily incidence rate is 59.7 new cases per 100,000 residents and its positive test rate is 5.23 percent, according to town and DPH data.
Four new cases were reported in Lynnfield, which now has 771 cases and 24 deaths. The town’s daily incidence rate is 73.9 new cases per 100,000 residents and its positive test rate is 6.45 percent, according to town and DPH data.
Numbers remained the same in Nahant (177 cases, six deaths), and have not been updated in Salem (3,243 cases, 63 deaths) or Swampscott (756 cases, 13 deaths) since Thursday.
Nahant has a positive test rate of 5.43 percent and a daily incidence rate of 86.1 new cases per 100,000 residents, Salem’s positive test and daily incidence rates are 8.24 percent and 92.8 new cases respectively, and Swampscott has a positive test rate and daily incidence rate of 5.84 percent and 87.1 new cases respectively, according to the DPH.