The number of active COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts continues to grow as new infections outpace the rate recoveries, according to data the Department of Public Health reported Wednesday night.
There were 5,794 confirmed and active cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, an increase of 507 from a week earlier. Over the week, DPH confirmed 2,688 new cases of the coronavirus and reported that 2,082 people had recovered from the disease.
Another 99 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 died in the last week. Also Wednesday, DPH reported that there were 4.9 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks, an incidence rate that climbed from a week earlier and would put the entire state in the administration’s yellow risk designation category.
The number of people with active cases of the highly-contagious virus has been steady or climbing for nearly three months as Massachusetts has stalled out in the third of four reopening phases, as some school districts and college campuses welcome students physically back to school, and as Gov. Charlie Baker loosens restrictions on restaurant dining.
During the time period that the number of active cases has been growing, the number of tests processed each day has generally been on the rise, too, and the share of tests that come back positive has fallen to its low point of 0.8 percent.
The state began reporting the number of recoveries and the number of people under isolation in early June. At the highest point, there 7,300 active cases in the June 10 report and the 2,586 active cases reported both July 8 and July 15 represent the low-water mark.
The number of active coronavirus cases has increased each week since the July 15 report.
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