Coronavirus By The Numbers: Gov. Baker Says 'A Few Days Does Not Represent A Trend'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gov. Charlie Baker warned residents from getting too optimistic about the recent decline in coronavirus positive cases. "A few days does not represent a trend, we've said that many times. And we have seen the data bounce around over the course of more than a few days," Baker said.
The number of positive coronavirus cases has been declining since April 16, when there were 2,262 cases reports. On Monday, there were 1,566.
The governor explained, "The number of positive tests is entirely dependent on who gets tested. What I mean by that is, the daily test totals don't represent necessarily what's happening across the entire Commonwealth. For example, we've prioritized testing for nursing homes and hotspots, which obviously affects the number of positive tests we get when we test."
A total of 169,398 people have now been tested in Massachusetts.
Instead, Baker said the state is looking closely at the number of hospitalizations for coronavirus, which has been increasing.
"Right now the Commonwealth is still in the surge. And while we're seeing fewer positive cases per day, more and more COVID-19 patients are being admitted to our hospitals. Our health care system is keeping up, thanks in large part to a ton of planning and your efforts to stay home, socially distance, cover your face in public, and work remotely. But the data shows we're still very much in the grips of a pandemic here in Massachusetts."
