TWO OF THE KEY INDICATORS for determining whether the state is nearing the end of its COVID-19 surge sent conflicting signals on Thursday, as hospitalizations declined slightly while new cases hit an all-time high for a single day.
The number of new COVID-19 cases rose to 3,079, a 76 percent increase over Wednesday and the highest one-day jump since the pandemic began. The sharp increase coincided with the biggest one-day jump in testing for the coronavirus, with 14,614 tests completed, almost three times the amount of the day before.
The other big indicator, patient hospitalizations, declined by 87 to 3,890. It was only the second time since the pandemic began that hospitalizations decreased. The previous drop of 28 occurred on April 18.
Deaths continued to mount, with 178 new COVID-19 fatalities for a total of 2,360.
Deaths at long-term care facilities continued their fast rise. The 111 deaths announced on Thursday at the facilities represented 62 percent of the statewide one-day increase and the total fatalities at nursing homes rose to 1,316 – 56 percent of the 2,360 deaths across Massachusetts.
The number of people at long-term care facilities with COVID-19 increased by 714 on Thursday, representing about 23 percent of the statewide total for the day. According to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, 43 percent of the state’s long-term care facilities now have 30 or more cases and 26 percent have less than 10.
House passes bill creating equity task force
The Massachusetts House wants to create a task force to examine disparities in health care among different populations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A bill that was passed by the House on Thursday would create a new 13-member group that would analyze racial and ethnic health disparities and make policy recommendations. According to a bill summary, it would look at removing barriers to health care services; increasing access to personal protective equipment; increasing access to COVID-19 testing; and educating populations about available resources in multiple languages.
Its first report would be due June 1.
Meet the Author
Editor, CommonWealth
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
Meet the Author
Reporter, CommonWealth
About Shira Schoenberg
Shira Schoenberg is a reporter at CommonWealth magazine. Shira previously worked for more than seven years at the Springfield Republican/MassLive.com where she covered state politics and elections, covering topics as diverse as the launch of the legal marijuana industry, problems with the state's foster care system and the elections of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Charlie Baker. Shira won the Massachusetts Bar Association's 2018 award for Excellence in Legal Journalism and has had several stories win awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Shira covered the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary for the Boston Globe. Before that, she worked for the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, where she wrote about state government, City Hall and Barack Obama's 2008 New Hampshire primary campaign. Shira holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
About Shira Schoenberg
Shira Schoenberg is a reporter at CommonWealth magazine. Shira previously worked for more than seven years at the Springfield Republican/MassLive.com where she covered state politics and elections, covering topics as diverse as the launch of the legal marijuana industry, problems with the state's foster care system and the elections of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Charlie Baker. Shira won the Massachusetts Bar Association's 2018 award for Excellence in Legal Journalism and has had several stories win awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Shira covered the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary for the Boston Globe. Before that, she worked for the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, where she wrote about state government, City Hall and Barack Obama's 2008 New Hampshire primary campaign. Shira holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
The House also wants to require the Department of Public Health to compile daily data on COVID-19 testing, test results, hospitalizations and mortality that includes race, ethnicity and gender.
Much of this information is already being collected by the DPH, which this week started releasing gender, racial and ethnic information about COVID-19.
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