Boston Public Health Commission Provides Update on City’s COVID-19 Trends

BPHC Urges Continued Mitigation and Prevention as Data Trend Upwards

BOSTON – July 15, 2022 – The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) today provided the following updates on the latest COVID-19 trends for the City of Boston as of July 14:

Levels of COVID-19 virus in local wastewater have increased by 21% over the past week.
- There are now 728 RNA copies of COVID-19 virus per mL in wastewater.
- This is down from the 1,000+ particles observed in early June, but still relatively high. Levels were as low as 100 particles/mL in March.
New COVID-19 cases in Boston have increased by 38.9% over the last seven days.
Boston hospitals are averaging 151 new COVID-19 related hospital admissions per day, up 24.6% over the past week.
Community positivity is currently at 10.1%.

Last week, the CDC elevated Suffolk County to medium community risk for COVID-19. For medium risk, we encourage masking within crowded indoor spaces for everyone to decrease the risk of transmission, staying up to date with vaccination, and testing if you are ill and prior to large indoor events.

The recent upticks in the city’s COVID-19 metrics are primarily due to the emergence of the highly infectious BA.5 variant, which now accounts for most COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts. Increased social activity and travel during the July 4th weekend is also a contributing factor. Despite the increases, instances of severe illness are still low.

“Cases are increasing, as are hospitalizations. We are following our citywide trends closely, and we suggest that everyone follow recommended precautions to reduce risk,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “Based on current trends, it is essential that people protect themselves and others by wearing masks within indoor crowded settings, testing, isolating if they’re sick, and staying up to date with their vaccinations which will reduce the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”

BPHC recommends the following strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission:

Test for COVID-19 before and after attending large gatherings, especially if you know you will be around high-risk individuals, such as seniors, those who are immunocompromised, and those who are unvaccinated.
Wear masks indoors, especially in crowded indoor settings like public transportation.
Stay home and isolate if you are sick or test positive for COVID-19. If you test positive, be sure to contact a health care provider about oral antivirals or monoclonal antibody therapy.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is offering free telehealth services for Paxlovid, an oral antiviral that has been proven to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 significantly. For more information, visit their website.
Stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations to reduce your risk of severe illness.
- COVID-19 vaccines are now recommended for everyone ages 6-months and up.
- Booster doses are available for everyone ages 5 and older.
- Second boosters are recommended for individuals ages 50 and older, as well as those who are 12 or older and moderately to severely immunocompromised.
Gather outside and choose outdoor activities as often as possible.
- Open windows and doors to ensure good indoor ventilation.

Vaccine and booster trends:

73.9% of residents are fully vaccinated
55.9% of fully vaccinated residents have received a booster
47.1% of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated
- 71.9% of white children are fully vaccinated, 67.6% of AAPI children are fully vaccinated, 34.6% of Latinx children are fully vaccinated, and 28% of Black children are fully vaccinated.

More information about COVID-19 vaccines and testing is available at boston.gov/bphc. Residents can also contact the Mayor’s Health Line for more information by calling 617-534-5050 or by going to https://www.boston.gov/bphc-mhl.

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