Westborough Coronavirus Cases On The Rise, State Data Shows

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Coronavirus case rates in Massachusetts rose over the past week, and Westborough was one of 143 cities and towns across the state where rates increased over the past seven days.

According to state data released Thursday, the seven-day positive test rate in Massachusetts increased from 1.59 percent last week to 1.99 percent. Positivity rates are still much lower than they were at the peak of the omicron wave in January, but some health experts are beginning to notice some troubling signs.

An omicron variant known as BA.2 is circulating in the United States. There's also an extra-contagious delta-omicron hybrid, commonly called "deltacron," that may soon push up U.S. cases. Also, COVID-19 vaccines in general don't fend off BA.2 as well as earlier variants, but do offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 illness, according to the CDC.

In Westborough, the town added four new cases over the past week, and the average daily rate of cases ticked up to 7.6 per 100,000 from 6.1 on March 17. But the number of positive tests was basically flat, rising to 1.68 percent from 1.67 percent on March 17.

Other nearby communities like Hopkinton, Northborough and Millbury were also among the towns where cases rose over the past week.

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