State officials reported a staggering 1,761 new confirmed coronavirus cases Thursday and 23 new deaths, marking a grim new record as the highest number of new cases reported in a single day by the Massachusetts Department of Health since spring.
The major increase brings the state’s total case count to 160,698, and the death toll to 9,859, which doesn’t account for another 226 deaths among cases that were probably linked to COVID-19, according to the DPH report.
The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive has also risen to 1.9 percent.
The new high still remains lower than the daily counts of April, which day after day surpassed 2,000 and by the end of the month, reached 3,079 cases. Though just on Wednesday, the nation recorded more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began.
Thursday’s daily numbers were released only hours before a series of sweeping new orders intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus are scheduled to take effect in the Bay state.
Among the new guidelines, announced by Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday, is a revised face-covering mandate for all public places, an updated limit on gatherings reducing the maximum number of people allowed at indoor gatherings in private residences from 25 to 10, and a stay-at-home advisory that will be in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
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