Breakthrough COVID percentage in Massachusetts cases rises as more people get vaccinated, given booster shots

Massachusetts had an average of 1,117 new cases of COVID-19[female[feminine since Friday, the last time the state released data on the virus.

In Tuesday’s update, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported a total of 4,466 new cases over the four-day holiday weekend. Globally, COVID cases have been on the decline since early September.

The state has also reported 36 new deaths, an average of 9 per day since Friday. The state had recorded double-digit daily deaths over the past month. An increase in COVID deaths typically follows the increase in cases and hospitalizations by weeks and, in the past, has started to decline weeks after those numbers started to drop.

The percentage of COVID-19 cases increased last week, even as the overall number continued to decline. A gradual increase in the percentage of rupture cases has matched an increase in vaccinations, with more than 66% of the state’s total population now fully vaccinated.

The state reported 4,034 revolutionary cases over a seven-day period ending October 9. During the same reporting period, the state reported 9,074 new cases. Breakthrough cases represent about 44% of the total. The majority of new cases – 56% – are among the unvaccinated or those who have not completed a two-dose vaccination.

The percentage of breakthrough cases has fluctuated between 33% and 44% since late July, but health officials noted that vaccinated people who test positive generally have better results, have few or no symptoms, and are much less likely to be hospitalized.

A total of 44,498 vaccinated people have tested positive in Massachusetts since the start of vaccinations. This represents 0.95% of people vaccinated in the state as of October 9.

A total of 395 people vaccinated died from COVID, or 0.007% of the total number of people vaccinated.

The state has continued to administer additional COVID vaccines since Friday in addition to Pfizer booster shots, which are now available for people 65 years of age and older or others at high risk for the virus.

A total of 200,965 booster shots were administered in the state on Tuesday. In total, more than 4.7 million Bay Staters are now fully vaccinated.

COVID hospitalizations continue to show little movement, fluctuating between the middle and the top 500. In Tuesday’s report, the hospitalizations were 541. Those numbers may include those hospitalized for other conditions who tested positive for the virus. However, of those numbers, 144 were people in intensive care and 92 were intubated. The percentage of vaccinated people hospitalized remained lower than the percentage of rupture cases in the public.

Of the 541 COVID-positive patients, 192 (around 35%) were vaccinated. The remaining 65% were not vaccinated or had not completed a two-dose vaccination.

Governor Charlie Baker Tuesday activated up to 200 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to help with COVID-19 testing at K-12 public schools across the state, officials said.

Additionally, Baker activated up to 250 Guard members on Tuesday to offset potential staff shortages at the Massachusetts Corrections Department.