Newton Coronavirus Cases Near 3,000

NEWTON, MA — The number of people in Newton testing positive for the virus since the pandemic hit in March is nearing 3,000 and will likely hit that mark by next week, even as the governor has loosened restrictions and the number of communities across the state listed as high-risk for the spread of the virus has declined.

In the past week, 204 people tested positive for the coronavirus in Newton, slightly down from the 253 new cases the week before, but bringing the number of those who have tested positive for the virus since March to 2,944.

Another three Newton residents died in the city in the past week, bringing the total deaths related to the coronavirus to 180.

"The drumbeat of loss has continued ringing in our ears," said Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller in a statement. "Honor each of our 180 neighbors and those who mourn their loss by wearing masks, physically distancing, and doing our part, for each other, to keep our neighbors safe until we can return to normal life."

During the two-week tracking period that ended Jan. 16, the incidence rate in Newton increased to 37.8 cases per 100,000 people, up from 37.1 reported during the previous two-week period, and 20.5 reported during the two weeks prior to that one.

Of the 20,332 tests administered to Newton residents over the past two-week reporting period, 2.75 percent came back positive. During the previous two weeks Newton’s positivity rate was 2.96 percent.

The Massachusetts Department of Health designated 222 cities and towns as high risk for the coronavirus in the latest community-level report Thursday, reducing the number of communities on the list for the first time in months.

Newton and neighboring communities Brookline, Needham, Watertown, Wellesley and Weston are all in the moderate, yellow zone. Boston and Waltham continue to be red or high risk zone for the virus.

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The seven-day average positive test rate for the state fell to 5.65 percent, the lowest level since November. Statewide case counts, hospitalizations and deaths all fell on average over the past week as well, although all measures remained far above the lows over the summer.

Baker Thursday extended vaccine eligibility to all categories in Phase One, which includes home-based health care workers and health workers not involved in pandemic response.

The state is also lifting certain business restrictions, Baker said. Beginning Monday, the state will lift its stay-at-home advisory and an order requiring most businesses to close by 9:30 p.m., the beginning of what many businesses hope will get them on a path to some semblance of normalcy. The 25 percent capacity limit for most businesses will stay in place for at least another two weeks.

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While COVID-19 numbers have improved in recent weeks, they are still significantly higher than when the stay-at-home advisory was instituted in the late fall. In early November, the positive test rate was below 3 percent; there were fewer than 2,000 new daily cases on average and about 20 average daily deaths.

Newton Public School Cases

There were 17 people in the Newton Public Schools who tested positive for COVID-19 during the past week, bringing the number of cases to 205 since September. The update through this week includes reports of six cases among students learning in person, one among staff working in person, and seven remote learning students.