The death toll from coronavirus confirmed cases in Massachusetts went up by four to 8,611, state officials reported Monday, and the number of confirmed cases rose by 213, bringing the total to 114,611.
Key metrics monitored for the state’s pandemic response are still low relative to the springtime surge, but Monday’s numbers come about a week after Massachusetts suspended its reopening plan amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
State officials said Monday that 14,946 more people were tested for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of individuals to 1,456,112. The total number of administration tests climbed to 1,929,891.
The state reported that new antibody tests for 253 people had been completed, bringing that total to 105,540.
The seven-day weighted average of positive tests was at 1.4 percent, which was the lowest level observed so far, according to the state.
The three-day average of hospitals with coronavirus patients dropped from 382 on Saturday to 371 as on Sunday. That number was up 3 percent from the lowest observed value, which was 359.
The number of hospitals using electricity capacity remained stable at two for the second consecutive day; the lowest it has been is zero. And the three-day average of deaths from confirmed cases of coronavirus fell slightly from 14 on Thursday to 13 on Friday – 19 percent above its lowest observed value of 11.
In the United States, more than 5.4 million people have confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 165,000 people have died, according to a Johns Hopkins University census.
The numbers were reported as colleges in Boston area went up for the fall semester. Hundreds of Boston University students moved into bedrooms this past weekend, Tufts University began giving permission to homeschoolers on Sunday, and Suffolk University on Thursday turned students from “high-risk” states into dorms.
Meanwhile, coronavirus clusters have erupted at other colleges and universities in the United States, with several linked to off-campus parties and packing clubs. At the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the fourth such cluster was unveiled in a week Sunday, with the outbreaks returning to bedrooms, private student housing, and a fraternity home. UNC officials announced Monday afternoon that the university would move to full instruction for graduates after the outbreaks.
In New York – once seen as the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the United States – Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that indoor gyms could resume as soon as New Week, with restrictions (inspections, mandatory mask wear, an occupancy limit of 33 percent , and 6 feet of social distance between gym-goers).
An average of 3 residents per 100,000 in New York test positive for COVID-19 every day – a rate that has remained relatively flat since mid-June and ranks far below many other states.
Florida also reported its lowest number of new cases of coronavirus since mid-June on Monday as the number of hospitals fell again. However, Kansas reported the largest increase in seven days in cases since the pandemic began.
Globe correspondent Lucas Phillips contributed to this report. Associated Press material was used in this report.
Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @JaclynReiss
