Eastie’s Weekly COVID Positive Test Rate Increases Again by 20%

For a second week in a row, East Boston’s weekly positive test rate has increased according to the latest data released by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). 

Earlier this month a COVID outbreak occurred in Provincetown with the Delta variant of the virus being confirmed among the cluster. The BPHC released an advisory on July 20 with new guidance to all residents of Boston who traveled to Provincetown during July until further notice.  As of July 19, 2021, at least 35 COVID-19 cases in Boston residents have been traced back to this cluster and the overwhelming majority of those have been fully vaccinated.

Two weeks ago Eastie weekly positive test rate spiked 2,000 percent. This was the first time the weekly positive test rate increased to over one percent in nearly two months. 

Last week, 1,008 Eastie residents were tested for the virus last week and 1.8 percent were positive–this was a 20 percent increase from the 1.5 percent reported by the BPHC two weeks ago. 

Of the 44,565 Eastie residents tested for COVID since the pandemic began, 17.5 percent overall were found to be positive for the virus. This was a decrease of one percent from the 17.7 percent reported by the BPHC two weeks ago. 

Citywide, the weekly positive test rate increased nearly 50 percent. According to the BPHC 13,702 residents were tested and 2.2  percent were COVID positive–this was a 47 percent increase from the 1.5 percent reported by the BPHC two weeks ago.

The BPHC urged all City of Boston residents who have traveled to Provincetown since July 1 to get tested for COVID-19 at least 5 days after returning, regardless of vaccination status or symptoms. The BPHC also said residents should self-isolate and avoid groups or gatherings for at least 5 days until a negative COVID-19 test, regardless of vaccination status. 

Eastie’s COVID infection rate increased only 0.2 percent and the rate went from 1,657.4 cases per 10,000 residents to 1,660.8 cases per 10,000 residents. 

Sixteen additional residents contracted the virus between July 16 and July 23 and there are now 7,794 confirmed cases in the neighborhood since the start of the pandemic. 

The statistics released by the BPHC as part of its weekly COVID19 report breaks down the number of cases and infection rates in each neighborhood. It also breaks down the number of cases by age, gender and race.

Citywide positive cases of coronavirus increased 0.62 percent since July 16 and went from 71,399 cases to 71,846 confirmed cases in a week. One additional Boston resident died from the virus in the past two weeks and there are now 1,396 total deaths in the city from COVID.

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