WCVB WCVB Staff
Thursday
May 21, 2020 at 4:35 PM May 21, 2020 at 4:35 PM
FALL RIVER – Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan reports that the number of coronavirus cases in the city increased by 25 on Thursday, bringing the total to 1,078. As well, he reported three new deaths, bringing the total to 25.
The Department of Public Health confirmed 82 new COVID-19-related deaths across the state Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 6,148.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 90,084 after 1,114 new cases were reported by state health officials on May 21.
To date, 501,486 tests for the virus have been conducted in Massachusetts after 11,533 new tests were reported Thursday.
A downward trend in a number of the metrics used by the state was reported on Thursday. The three-day average of hospitalizations is down, as is the three-day average of deaths. The seven-day weighted average of positive test results is down. In fact, on Thursday, the positive test rate was 9.4%, whereas on May 1 it was 16.6% and in mid-April it was around 30%.
Across the state, there are 2,396 coronavirus patients being cared for in hospitals, 647 of them ICUs. At Charlton Memorial Hospital, there are 48 COVID-19 patients, 14 of which are in the ICU; at St. Anne’s there are zero patients; at St. Luke’s there are 30 patients, 10 of which are in the ICU. At Morton Hospital, there are 30 COVID-19 patients, with seven of them in the ICU.
Roughly 61% of the deaths reported statewide occurred at long-term care facilities as of Tuesday, according to state health officials.
As May 20, 56,338 Massachusetts residents have been subject to quarantine since the COVID-19 outbreak began and 32,549 people have completed quarantine, according to the state’s weekly report.
The DPH said it has taken several steps to expand reporting as the pandemic has evolved and increase access and capacity for testing statewide.
State health officials aims to increase testing capacity of up to 45,000 tests per day by the end of July and up to 75,000 by December. The testing criteria has been broadened to allow for more individuals to have access to testing for COVID-19.