East Boston and Boston’s weekly COVID cases continue to drop and Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced Monday that she will align with the state’s reopening plan.
According to the latest data released by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), Eastie weekly COVID positive test rate has decreased for a fourth week in a row and dropped dramatically again last week.
According to the latest data released by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), last week 1,496 Eastie residents were tested for the virus last week and only two percent were positive–a 29 percent decrease from the 2.8 percent reported by the BPHC two weeks ago.
Of the 40,973 Eastie residents tested for COVID since the pandemic began, 18.8 percent overall were found to be positive for the virus. This was an increase of 3.3 percent from the 18.2 percent reported by the BPHC two weeks ago.
Citywide, the weekly positive test rate decreased once again.
According to the BPHC 18,713 residents were tested and 2.1 percent were COVID positive–this was a 12.5 percent decrease from the 2.4 percent positive test rate reported by the BPHC two weeks ago.
On Monday, Janey announced that the City of Boston will align with the state’s reopening plan. All remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective May 29. The city was going to delay reopening for three weeks but the positive test rate in Boston has remained under 2.5 percent for a couple of weeks now.
Following CDC guidance, the state’s face covering order will also be rescinded on May 29 and Governor Charlie Baker will end the State of Emergency on June 15.
The Department of Public Health will issue a new face covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance. Face coverings will still be mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems–including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations–in healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.
For more information on the lifting of restrictions visit https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-to-lift-covid-restrictions-may-29-state-to-meet-vaccination-goal-by-beginning-of-june.
Eastie’s COVID infection rate increased by only 0.39 percent last week and went from 1,632.3 cases per 10,000 residents to 1,638.7 cases per 10,000 residents.
An additional 30 Eastie residents contracted the virus and there are now 7,690 confirmed cases, up from the 7,660 reported two weeks ago.
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 less than one percent last week and went from 69,944 cases to 70,297 confirmed cases in a week. Eight additional Boston residents died from the virus last week and there are now 1,373 total deaths in the city from COVID.