Coronavirus Hospitalizations See Big Drop; 500K Tests Now Given

MASSACHUSETTS — There was a big drop in coronavirus patients being hospitalized a day after the first increase in more than a week was reported; the decrease part of another good news/bad news report released by state health officials Thursday.

There were 2,396 patients admitted to hospitals, 122 less than the previous day. That drop, one of the largest since reporting started, follows a day with a 46-patient increase.

There were fewer deaths reported; eighty-two fatalities brought the total to 6,148.

But there was a slight uptick in the positive test rate — 1,114 cases were reported on 11,533 tests — and the number of hospitals using surge capacity.

Overall, there have been 90,084 confirmed coronavirus cases. The state passed the half-million mark in testing, sitting at 501,486.

See the full report here.