Health

Number of high-risk communities jumps

COVID-19 infections concentrated among young

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THE NUMBER of communities considered high risk for COVID-19 increased from 13 to 17, while people younger than 39 led the way in infections, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all cases over the last two weeks.

The weekly data released by the Baker administration on Wednesday showed those in the 20-29 age category had 1,207 cases over the last two weeks, or 25 percent of the total. They were also highest on a per capita basis, with 16.6 cases per 100,000 people.

Those in the 0-19 category had 864 cases, or 18 percent of the total (53.9 cases per 100,000 people), while the 30-39 age category had 843 cases, nearly 18 percent of the total (92.9 cases per 100,000).

The Baker administration also broke out the number of cases associated with higher education testing,  reporting 168 cases over the last week for a total of 499.

High-risk communities are defined as those having more than 8 cases per 100,000 people over the previous two weeks while moderate risk communities have between 4 and 8 cases per 100,000. The Baker administration uses the community-by-commuunity data to determine where to concentrate resources in battling COVID-19.

Chelsea remained the highest in the state, with 22.9 cases per 100,000 people. Nantucket vaulted  from the moderate-risk category into the second spot in the high-risk category, with 18.9 cases, followed by Revere (18.8), Lawrence (16.9), Everett (16.3), and Lynn (12.7).

The other high-risk communities were Framingham, Dedham, Lynnfield, and Monson, which were in the 10-to-12-case range.  Worcester, Wrentham, New Bedford, Saugus, Tyngsboro, Winthrop, and Plainville were in the 8-to-10-case range.

The new communities in the high-risk category this week were Nantucket, Worcester, Wrentham, Saugus, Tyngsboro, and Plainville. Two communities – Chatham and Methuen – dropped out of the high-risk category. Chatham fell all the way to low risk, which is less than 4 cases per 100,000 people. Methuen fell back into the moderate-risk category.

The moderate risk category as a group shrunk a bit this week compared to last week, as a large number of communities dropped out. There was a total of 36 moderate risk communities, with the newcomers being Dracut, Lancaster, Milford, Newton, Palmer, and Weymouth. All of those communities had between 4 to 5 cases, at the lower end of the moderate risk range.

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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.

Communities at the higher end of the moderate risk range included Boston, which saw its number rise from 7.5 cases to 7.7 cases over the last week; Clinton, which jumped from 5.1 to 7.6; Mendon, which went from 6.2 to 7.4; and Somerville, which dipped from 7.7 to 7.6.

The state as a whole held steady at 4.6 cases per 100,000 people.

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