Massachusetts hospitals are nearly as packed with COVID-19 patients as they were last winter.
State public health officials late Tuesday reported 16,621 newly confirmed cases and said 2,372 people are being treated for the virus in hospitals, including 441 patients in intensive care units.
That’s up from 2,221 people hospitalized the day before. The seven-day test positivity rate charged higher, to 21.62 percent, up from 19.87 percent in Monday’s report.
Public health officials said the virus was responsible for 94 newly reported deaths.
Emergency physicians and nurses on Monday issued a “crisis message” in which they said emergency departments “are at critical capacity and things will get worse” while also emphasizing that those needing emergency care “will be safely cared for.”
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