Statewide COVID-19 deaths on the decline, but we must remain diligent

On May 18th the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center began providing updates on six key public health indicators to monitor the situation before and during reopening of the state. These metrics can be found on the MDPH Data Dashboard. Metrics include positive test rate, number of individuals who have died from COVID-19, number of patients with COVID-19 in hospitals, healthcare system readiness, testing capacity, and contract tracing capabilities. 

In the last month, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have been declining across the Commonwealth.

Images from MDPH Data Dashboard https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-dashboard-may-18-2020/download accessed 5/18/2020

County-level data available on the MDPH website also suggest a decline in COVID-19 deaths in Western Massachusetts since April 21st when examining 3-day average number of COIVD-19 deaths. While this seems promising, it is important to stay vigilant and to continue taking steps to prevent the spread the COVID-19.  Visit our COVID-19 Prevention webpage to learn more. As the state begins to reopen, it will be important to monitor the data as there could be a resurgence in cases.

Graph created by PHIWM using data from MDPH Archive of COVID-19 data https://www.mass.gov/info-details/archive-of-covid-19-cases-in-massachusetts#may-2020-