Test 3

COVID cases rise in North TV communities

BOSTON - The number of COVID cases across the nation continue to rise with the Delta variant still the most dominant.

While the rates in Massachusetts have not risen to levels reached in states with low vaccination rates, the numbers are still troubling for public health officials.

That rise is now being seen in the two communities served by North TV, according to data released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Thursday night for the two-week period ending July 21.

The good news is that North Attleboro and Plainville are still listed as gray communities – the best of the four designated colors - after spending multiple weeks during the height of the pandemic in the most severe category.

North Attleboro reported a positivity rate of 1.04 percent, which is up significantly from the 0.23 percent reported last week. It was the second straight week the percentage increased.

The daily incidence rate per 100,000 residents was at 2.1, more than four times higher than the 0.5 reported each of the last two weeks.

Plainville had nowhere to go but up after a positivity rate of 0.00 last week.

This week’s number was 0.72 percent, it was at 0.37 two weeks back.

The daily incidence rate per 100,000 residents was also up at 1.6, compared to 0.0 last week and 0.8 the week before.