Since the city ramped up COVID-19 testing last week the number of those infected with the COVID-19 virus in Mission Hill/Roxbury has become more clear.
Since last week 1,290 residents in Mission Hill/Roxbury have been tested and 36.6 percent of those tested have found to be COVID-19 positive.
Mission Hill/Roxbury was also found to have the fourth highest percentage of COVID-19 positive cases among those tested followed after East Boston, Mattapan and Dorchester. Mission Hill/Roxbury was followed by Hyde Park, Roslindale, West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit Mission Hill/Roxbury in mid-March the numbers of those with COVID-19 and the neighborhood’s infection rate continues to rise.
In Mission Hill/Roxbury the COVID-19 infection rate rose to 110.1 cases per 10,000 residents as of last Friday.
As of Friday there were 475 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mission Hill/Roxbury.
The stats released by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) as part of its weekly COVID-19 report breaks down the number of cases and infection rates in each neighborhood. It also breaks down the number of cases by age, gender and race. Updated results are released on the BPHC’s website on Friday afternoons.
Last week Mayor Martin Walsh announced that residents from Boston neighborhood ‘hotspots’, who do not have symptoms, will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies in order to evaluate community exposure as part of a Mass General Hospital study.
“We are at war with COVID-19, and overcoming this viral enemy demands knowledge, strategy and intelligence gathering,” Dr. PeterSlavin, president of MGH. “A growing body of evidence suggests that many people who have been infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, but we don’t yet know how prevalent the disease is in our city, in our communities and in our society. Data from this testing in Boston will provide vital clues into the spread of the virus and will help us develop strategies to slow down or stop this invisible foe.”
Also, Governor Charlie Baker announced last week an initiative to expand COVID-19 testing at Community Health Centers throughout the city and state. The announcement will expand this effort in partnership with Quest Diagnostics and the Mass League of Community Health Centers.
Baker said in rolling out increased testing community health centers in areas of high need that have the ability to increase their testing capacities will be prioritized.
Since Friday, Quest Diagnostics has sent over 2,255 kits to community health centers in Boston and Brockton. Quest Diagnostics has committed to ship an additional 5,000 COVID-19 test kits to 12 other community health centers in Boston, Brockton, Lowell, Quincy, Fall River, Provincetown, and Worcester.