Omicron Surge Pushes Weekend Case Count to New High

State Public Health Officials Reported a Three-Day Total of 60,986 New Cases

The omicron variant continues to fuel explosive COVID-19 spread in Massachusetts, with the latest count of new cases recorded over the weekend nearly doubling the number reported one week ago.

State public health officials on Monday reported 60,986 new cases, a three-day total reflecting data from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That smashes the previous three-day record of 31,184 set in a Jan. 3 report.

In the midst of the latest winter surge, the Department of Public Health reported that the seven-day average of newly confirmed cases now stands at 18,959.6, more than 2.5 times as high as it was two weeks ago. The seven-day average positive test rate shot upward over the past month, from 5.2 percent on Dec. 9 to 22.39 percent as of Jan. 9.

DPH on Monday reported 2,923 COVID-19 patients in Massachusetts hospitals, continuing a steady increase that has pushed the figure to levels last seen in May 2020. However, it’s not clear how many of those Bay Staters were hospitalized to treat serious illness from COVID-19 and how many were in the hospital for another reason when they tested positive. Baker administration officials expect hospitals to begin distinguishing between those categories in data reporting this week.

Of the 2,923 COVID patients in hospitals, DPH said that 1,293 were fully vaccinated when they contracted the illness.

The department also reported another 53 confirmed deaths and 22 probable deaths on Monday. Since the pandemic began, 20,643 Massachusetts residents have died with confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19.

Widespread vaccination has helped limit the severity of illness and death during the latest surge, and health experts say the booster shots now available are crucial to slowing the spread of the omicron variant. DPH had not yet posted its daily vaccination update, expected by 4 p.m. each weekday, as of 5:30 p.m. on Monday.