BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Nearly two-dozen more Massachusetts communities are falling into the high-risk zone for Covid-19 transmission, according to the latest report from the Department of Public Health.
The state's latest weekly dashboard shows 77 cities and towns in the "red zone" -- meaning they are at the highest level of risk for transmitting Covid-19. That number compares to the previous week, which saw 55 cities and towns in the red.
Health officials declare which communities are in the red, yellow and green by weighing their daily rates of new cases of Covid-19 with their population to determine the risk of spread.
Despite the surge, the Commonwealth is still below the mid-January peak in virus transmission when 229 cities and towns were high-risk.
The concern for state health officials over the past few weeks has been the spread of variants of Covid-19, including the more transmissible U.K. variant and the Brazil variant -- which have both been detected in Massachusetts.
The state is urging people to continue to keep their guard up when protecting themselves against the virus by wearing a mask and socially distancing if they are not in the company of people who have been vaccinated for the virus.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio:Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|iHeartmedia App
Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Getty Images)