Boston-area COVID wastewater data drops in southern region, stays up in north

The Boston-area COVID wastewater tracker is showing a regional split this week, as virus samples drop across the southern region while the sewage data stays up in the north.

The COVID wastewater seven-day average for the south-of-Boston region is now 720 copies per milliliter, compared to 1,090 copies in the north-of-Boston area.

Over the past week, the virus samples have gone down 15% in the south, while the data has climbed 22% in the northern region.

“The north of the city doesn’t have the downward trend that the south has, but there are fluctuations in the data so I would wait a week and see,” said Davidson Hamer, a Boston University School of Public Health infectious diseases specialist.

“If it continues to go up in the north, then the question is why. Could there be something different going on there? Graduation parties?” Hamer added. “If the data starts dropping, then we could start thinking about having a real Independence Day party.”

Meanwhile, the state Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 2,561 daily COVID cases, a 27% decline from 3,485 infections last Thursday.

The omicron BA.2 variant has been spreading across the region, along with the subvariant BA.2.12.1.

The state’s daily average positive test rate had been climbing in recent weeks but has gone down in the past week. The average positive test rate is now 7.29%, down from 8.32% at this time last week. The test rate for Thursday’s report was significantly lower at 5.58%.

State health officials reported 24 new COVID deaths, bringing the state’s total recorded death toll to 20,651. The daily average of deaths was much higher following the omicron hospitalization surge. The daily death rate is now eight.

COVID-19 hospitalizations had been rising in recent weeks, but patient counts have been lower in the past week. There are now 696 COVID patients across the Bay State after total hospitalizations ticked up by one patient.

There are now 80 patients in intensive care units, and 24 patients are currently intubated across Massachusetts.

Nearly 5.4 million people in the state are now fully vaccinated, and more than 3 million people have received a booster dose. Also, the state reported that 493,385 people have received an additional booster dose.

In the weekly K-12 schools report, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported that 8,047 students and staff tested positive last week, down from 12,729 cases during the previous week.