Coronavirus MA: State Now Reporting Town-By-Town Cases

MASSACHUSETTS — State officials will begin identifying the number of coronavirus cases on a town-by-town basis. The numbers, which will be released Wednesday afternoon and updated weekly, is a shift in how the state has been reporting COVID-19 cases.

Health and Human Services Director Marylou Sudders said in a Wednesday morning news conference numbers will be withheld for communities with fewer than 50,000 residents and five or fewer cases.

The Department of Public Health had been resisting reporting the number of cases in individual municipalities, citing privacy concerns. The state's stance had led to confusion in some cities, which had reported the numbers sporadically.

Gov. Charlie Baker also said Massachusetts is in the midst of a surge of COVID-19 patients.

"Based on the conversations we're having every day with our colleagues in the hospital community, we are in the surge," he said Wednesday.

State health officials on Tuesday reported another 1,296 and 113 deaths from the coronavirus. There are now totals to 28,163 cases and 957 deaths since the outbreak started. There have been 126,551 people tested across more than two dozen public and private labs.

More Massachusetts coronavirus updates:

• The state has distributed 3.7 million pieces of personal protective equipment, and FEMA said the state will receive another million pieces Thursday. Baker said he is expecting 650,000 masks and 260,000 Tyvek suits.
• Sudders said Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel is healthy and has been cleared to return to work. Bharel announced on March 27 she tested positive for COVID-19 and would be working from home while recovering.