To our Readers:
In an effort to keep our community informed during the public-health crisis, we will post local virus-related information free of charge.
If you have any crisis-related stories, please submit them to ([email protected]).
For comprehensive daily news, home delivery and online only subscriptions are available via itemlive.com.
MARBLEHEAD OUT, BUT EIGHT LOCAL COMMUNITIES REMAIN IN THE RED
BY GAYLA CAWLEY| January 22, 2021
Marblehead is out of the red this week, but eight other local North Shore communities are still designated as having a high risk for coronavirus spread.
Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus, and Swampscott are in the red again this week, based on their high daily incidence and positive test rates, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH).
Marblehead, which was red last week, has been deemed a moderate risk, or yellow, community on the state’s COVID-19 map.
With Lynn reporting fewer new daily cases over the past 14 days, the city is finally out of the top 10 for positive test rate, but just barely. Its positive rate of 12.87 percent is 11th highest in the state, according to the DPH.
Lynn’s average daily incidence rate also declined this week, but still remains high at 127.2 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, the DPH reported.
Ninety-one new cases were reported in Lynn on Friday to bring the city’s caseload 13,872. Of that total, 1,914 cases are active, 171 people have died, and 1,787 have recovered from the virus, according to city data.
Positive test rates are also high in Revere and Saugus, at 11.31 percent and 10.14 percent respectively over the past 14 days. Both communities also have a triple-digit average daily incidence rate, at 135.7 and 124.9 respective new cases per 100,000 residents, according to the DPH.
In Revere, 60 new cases were reported on Friday to bring the city’s total numbers to 8,516 cases and 135 deaths. Numbers were not updated in Saugus, which had 3,060 cases and 58 deaths as of Thursday, according to their community websites.
Peabody, which has reported 101 new cases and two additional deaths since Wednesday, also has a triple-digit daily incidence rate of 107.3 new cases per 100,000 residents. The city’s positive test rate is 9.29 percent this week and it has reported a total of 5,413 cases and 262 deaths, according to DPH and city data.
In Salem, 60 new cases were reported to bring the city’s caseload to 3,529. Sixty-four people have died. Over the past two weeks, Salem’s positive test rate is 7.63 percent and its daily incidence rate is 93.1, according to DPH and city data.
Lynnfield (861 cases, 24 deaths) reported 47 new cases on Friday, Marblehead (919 cases, 31 deaths) has reported 56 new cases since last Friday, and Nahant (200 cases, six deaths) reported 10 new cases.
Numbers were not updated in Swampscott, which had 811 cases as of Thursday. Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said during Wednesday’s Select Board meeting that another resident has died, which brings the town’s death toll to 14.