MA COVID-19 Hospitalizations Hit Highest Level In 12 Months

MASSACHUSETTS — Coronavirus hospitalizations hit their highest rate in Massachusetts since January of last year, according to the daily state Department of Public Health report released late Tuesday afternoon.

"We are overwhelmed. Your Emergency Departments are at a breaking point," the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians and the Massachusetts Emergency Nurses Association said in a joint statement Monday.

On Monday, 2,372 people were hospitalized in Massachusetts with the coronavirus, including 441 patients in intensive care and 262 who were on ventilators.

That was the highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations since Jan. 6, 2021, when 2,386 people were hospitalized. The state's highest number of hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic was on April 21, 2020, when 3,965 coronavirus patients were in Massachusetts hospitals.

Other major metrics tracked by the report rose as well:

• There were 16,621 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Massachusetts on Monday, down from 31,184 on Monday, which included cases reported over the weekend.
• There were 94 reported coronavirus deaths in Tuesday's report, bringing the total to 19,954 since the first Massachusetts COVID-19 death was reported on March 20, 2020. At the current rate, the state's coronavirus death toll could reach 20,000 by the end of the week and as early as Wednesday.
• There have been 107,768 additional COVID-19 cases confirmed in Massachusetts since last Tuesday, when the state reported its 1 millionth case.
• The seven-day average positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Massachusetts was 21.62 percent, up from 19.87 percent Monday.

Just 756, or 8.7 percent, of the state's 8,691 hospital beds were vacant Monday, according to Tuesday's Department of Health report.

Beyond the raw data, the ongoing surge continued to disrupt life in Massachusetts. With no statewide mask mandate, Massachusetts is now a patchwork of local mask rules.

Some of the 200,000 test kits the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sent to Massachusetts schools last week were expired, while other districts were not sent enough of the kits for all of their teachers and staff members to take two coronavirus tests before schools reopened Monday.

Schools in Brockton, Lawrence and Watertown were closed Tuesday, and more than 1,000 Boston Public Schools teachers, staff members and bus drivers stayed home. Most other schools, however, were open after some delayed openings and cancellations on Monday to allow for rapid testing of teachers and staff before students returned.

Flight delays and cancellations continued to plague Logan International Airport in Boston. More than 100 flights to and from Logan have been canceled every day this week as major airlines continued to be short-staffed because of crew coronavirus cases.

The Massachusetts Lottery closed its prize claim centers through Friday in "the interest of the health and safety." Winners can claim prized between $601 and $5,000 using the Lottery's mobile app.

More Massachusetts pandemic news:

• Transportation Challenges Likely As Schools Reopen
• Greater Boston League Hits Pause On High School Sports
• Wellesley Schools Resume Winter Sports Despite High COVID Numbers
• Under COVID Barrage, Melrose Schools 'Concerned' About Protocols