COVID wastewater data in the Boston-area continues to take a plunge, as state health officials on Thursday also reported a drop in virus cases and hospitalizations.
Data from the Boston Public Health Commission’s wastewater surveillance program shows that the number of COVID particles in the city’s wastewater decreased 71% over the past two weeks. The wastewater data helps predict virus waves and lulls in the community.
For the north-of-Boston region, the wastewater data has gone down 44% in the same time period. The south-of-Boston region has seen a 32% drop.
On Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 1,034 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 148 COVID cases from the last week was a 16% decrease from the daily rate of 177 virus infections during the previous week.
The Bay State’s positive test average ticked down last week. The seven-day positive test rate is now 2.47%, a decline from 3.22% last week.
The state Department of Public Health on Thursday also reported that 204 total patients are hospitalized with COVID, which is a drop of 69 patients from this time last week.
The state reported 11 new COVID deaths over the past week, bringing the state’s total to 24,613 recorded deaths since the start of the pandemic. The daily average of deaths is now one.
State health officials recently updated how COVID deaths are counted, limiting COVID-associated deaths to those with COVID listed on the death certificate.
More than 2 million people in the state have received a booster dose since the bivalent vaccine was offered last September.
