Photo: COVID-19 update
Belmont has seen an uptick in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 over the past two weeks but it has not effected the overall risk level in contracting the coronavirus according to the state.
According to the data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 Dashboard, Belmont has reported 264 positive cases as of Sept. 23, an increase of eight cases in the past 14 days. The latest data from the state shows a noted rise in cases from previous two week totals. Fore instance, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11, Belmont had a single positive case.
As a result of the increase in positive cases, the town’s average daily incidence rate per 100,000 rose from below one percent to 2.1 percent. The jump in infection rates in Belmont is following the over all trend of greater positive cases in the state and in the US.
Despite the increase in mid-September, Belmont remains as a state designated “green” community with an infection rate of less than four percent per 100,000,
The color assigned to a community is based on the average of daily cases per 100,000 residents, red being the highest risk level followed by yellow, green, and white.
The number of COVID-19 deaths registered in Belmont continues to remain level at 60, with the last two deaths coming in late May.
By definition, “percent” means “per one hundred.” It’s unclear what you mean when you write that the incidence rate per 100,000 is 2.1 percent—do you mean 2 out of 100, or 2 out of 100,000?
The 2.1 is used as a way to compare how each town/city has been doing for the last 14 days with their increase in positive cases, the lower, the better.
For instance Belmont had 8 positive cases during the last 14 days. If there had been 8 positive cases in a population of 100,000, it would be equivalent to 2.1 positive cases in a town/city with a population the same as Belmont.
I think the state wants that number to be 1 or less than 1. That would mean that the town/city is doing well in containing the virus.