North Reading Coronavirus Cases Increase, Town Risk 'Moderate'

NORTH READING, MA — North Reading's COVID-19 cases increased over the last two weeks — the town is considered by the state to be a "moderate risk" community. North Reading reported 14 new COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, bringing the total case count to 283.

North Reading is considered a "moderate risk" community because it has an average daily incidence rate of 6 cases per every 100,000 residents.

In the last two weeks, North Reading tested 1,383 people for a total of 8,094 tests administered in town. Fifteen tests have come back positive over the last two weeks. The town's percent positive rate over the last two weeks stayed at 1.08 percent. Health officials say positive test results need to stay below 5 percent for two weeks or longer and, preferably, be closer to 2 percent, for states to safely ease restrictions.

State rules mean that high-risk communities, plus others that were high-risk in the last two updates, cannot move on to the next phase of reopening. Sixty-three communities were designated high-risk in the new town-by-town data released by the state Wednesday.

View the state's interactive COVID-19 map.