Many coronavirus restrictions were lifted on Monday in Massachusetts by Gov. Charlie Baker due to falling COVID cases and hospitalizations, but many experts feel the move is too hasty and could lead to a resurgence in the virus.
The most recent seven-day average of cases — approximately 67,200 — represents an increase of a little over 2 percent compared to the prior seven days..."
Public health experts in Massachusetts are concerned as well, reports the Associated Press on March 1 (source article).
“Opening up these restaurants is going to prolong the epidemic, and increase the number of Massachusetts residents that die,” Dr. Robert Horsburgh, a Boston University professor of epidemiology, told The Boston Globe.
Daily reported new cases in Massachusetts mirror what happened nationally, with a steep drop beginning in early January that plateaued last week, though at a 25% higher level than the national average. The U.S. had a 7-day rolling average of 20 daily new reported cases per 100,000 residents on March 1, a +4% rise in new cases in the past week, according to The Washington Post coronavirus tracker. The 7-day average for Massachusetts was 25 per 100k, a 7% increase in new cases in the past week.
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