Massachusetts reports 7,120 new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations keep dropping

State health officials on Tuesday reported 7,120 new coronavirus cases, as infection rates and COVID-19 hospitalizations keep dropping.

Both cases and hospitalizations have been lower recently as the extraordinarily contagious omicron variant slows in the Bay State.

The 7,120 new cases reported on Tuesday was a 60% plunge from the 17,802 daily cases reported two Tuesdays ago.

The state’s positive test average has been declining, too. It now stands at 11.40% after peaking at 23% in early January. The daily positive test rate for Tuesday’s report was 9.81%.

The state reported 145 new COVID deaths, bringing Massachusetts’ total recorded death toll to 21,669. The 145 deaths are from Saturday through Monday.

The seven-day average of deaths is now 50, which has been increasing in recent weeks. The peak daily death average during last winter’s surge was 77 deaths.

There are now 2,688 COVID patients in the state, a daily decline of 296 patients. Hospitalizations had been surging for several weeks as cases hit record highs, but hospitalizations are now on a downward trend.

Of hospitalized COVID patients statewide, 49.8% of the patients were reported as being hospitalized due to COVID, and 50.2% of the patients were reported as testing positive for COVID while hospitalized for other reasons.

The state reported that 399 patients are in intensive care units, and 250 patients are currently intubated.

Of the 2,688 total hospitalizations, 1,333 patients are fully vaccinated — or about 50%.

In the state’s weekly breakthrough report, there were 46,092 breakthrough infections last week, a major dip from the 86,450 breakthrough cases during the prior week — a 47% decrease week-over-week.

There was a one-week increase of 448 fully vaxxed patients — down from the previous weekly increase of 884 fully vaxxed patients.

The state also reported a one-week increase of 275 deaths — up from the previous weekly increase of 170 deaths.