10 more Massachusetts cities added to the list of those deemed ‘high risk’ for COVID-19

10 Massachusetts communities have been added to the list of those at “high risk” for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 23 – a list that includes New Bedford. The state’s designation is determining high-risk is when a town or city’s infection rate reaches 8 or more cases per 100,000 residents.

This, unfortunately, means placing a delay upon the ability of those communities to reach the next phase of re-opening which the state is planning on doing on Monday, October 5th.

The new communities are Attleboro, Avon, Boston, Dracut, Haverhill, Lowell, Lynnfield, Methuen, Middleton, North Andover, and Springfield.

Both Governor Baker and Boston’s mayor Marty Walsh have stated that house parties, particularly among 20-something college students, is at the heart of the spike in coronavirus cases the state is experiencing. An astounding 50% of new positive test results are from people under 29-years of age.

Particularly alarming for Attleboro is that their recent spike includes 11 members of the Attleboro Fire Department, including one who is in serious condition.

On Wednesdays, Massachusett’s public health officials 510 additional new cases of the virus and 32 new deaths bringing the state’s total to 129,750 confirmed coronavirus cases with and 9,242 deaths.