COVID UPDATE:
On April 23, the Marblehead total case count = 1,306; 23 active cases; 31 total deaths. The average daily incidence rate was 15.8/100,000, a slight increase over 4/16, and the percentage positive tests was 1.73%, also a slight increase. He noted that the part of the explanation for the latter was that the governor’s travel order had changed to an advisory, and now the number of tests had declined from 3,000s over the previous 2 weeks to 2605 over the next time period. With fewer tests but the same number of positives, the percentage would go up.
Statewide the number of cases continues to trend downward. The age distribution of the cases is: 8, 0-19; 3, 20-29; 2, 30-39; 6, 40-49; 10,50-59; 5, 60-69; 1, 70-79; and 3, > 80. Many of the new infections are in the lower age groups as older age groups are getting vaccinated. (As of April 16, all > 16 years old are eligible for vaccination.)