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Boston Public Health Commission Provides Update on City’s COVID-19 Trends

BOSTON – October 24, 2022 – The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) today provided the following updates on the latest COVID-19 trends for the City of Boston:    

  • Levels of COVID-19 virus in local wastewater have increased by 24.8% over the past week, but are holding stable over the past two weeks (-2.8%) and are now at 894 RNA copies per mL. (Data through October 19).  
  • New COVID-19 cases in Boston have held stable over the past seven days (+5.8%) and decreased by 24.9% over the past 14 days. (Data as of October 18). 
  • Note: This does not include at-home rapid testing results 
  • New COVID-19 related hospitalizations have increased by 12.9% over the last seven days and have held stable (+4.5%) over the last two weeks. (Data as of October 20).  
  • Community positivity is 6% (data as of October 24).  
  • Suffolk county remains at medium community risk, according to the CDC.  

"The recent increases in the concentration of virus in local wastewater samples and increased hospitalizations are a reminder that COVID-19 is a serious ongoing concern,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “We don’t know what the future holds for us this winter. I recommend that everyone stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and obtain the omicron-specific booster, get their annual flu shot, and wear a mask in indoor crowded spaces, especially if you are unvaccinated, immunocompromised, or elderly.”  

With cooler temperatures leading to more time spent indoors and a higher risk of respiratory illness, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, as well as getting an annual flu vaccination will provide the broadest level of protection necessary to prevent severe illness that can result in hospitalization. The higher vaccination rates will also be crucial for avoiding an influx of COVID-19 and flu related hospitalizations that could strain or overwhelm Boston’s health care system. More information about the flu vaccines is available online, or by calling the Mayor’s Health Line at 617-534-5050.  

Based on current trends, BPHC’s recommends the following COVID-19 prevention and mitigation methods:  

 Vaccine and booster trends* 

  • 79.5% of Boston residents are now fully vaccinated.  
  • 50.9% of Boston children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated. 
  • 14.4% of Boston children ages 6-months to 4-years old are fully vaccinated.  

Visit the the BPHC Covid-19 page for information about COVID-19 vaccines and testing. Residents can also contact the Mayor’s Health Line for more information by calling 617-534-5050 or by visiting the Mayor's Health Line page 

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*NOTE: The Boston Public Health Commission has updated its methodologies for generating vaccination data and as a result, some categories now show higher or lower percentages than were previously reported. Please reach out to BPHC for more information about these changes. 

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