BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — On Sunday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported an additional 764 confirmed cases of coronavirus, for a total of 12,500 cases in the state.
According to the daily report, residents and workers at more than 100 long-term care facilities across the state account for 551 of the total cases.
Since Saturday, 15 people have died from coronavirus in Massachusetts, bringing the state's COVID-related death toll to 231.
Almost 70 percent of people with positive coronavirus tests in Massachusetts are aged under 60. A majority of people who have died from coronavirus in Massachusetts are aged over 60.
On Sunday, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh spoke to the city's "youth and young adults" about slowing the spread of COVID-19.
"I want to address you directly," Walsh said outside City Hall. "So far in Boston, nearly 45 percent of all positive tests are people under the age of 40. We are now seeing more cases of severe illness in young people."
Walsh said Boston's new social distancing guidelines, which go into effect Monday April 6 and include a 9 p.m. city-wide curfew and the closure of all parks, is aimed at keeping everyone at home for the next three weeks.
The Mayor said social distancing is not just about keeping the senior population safe, but also those with underlying health conditions like asthma, which impacts one in four high schoolers in the city.
"You need to realize how many people are vulnerable all around you.... Whether you get sick or not, you have a responsibility. You have to follow these guidelines. Otherwise, if you live with a grandparent... if your parent is over 60 with a health condition, you put them at risk."
(Photo: Getty Images)
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