Dartmouth sees uptick in COVID cases in town and schools from previous week

Linda Roy, Standard-Times
·4 min read

For the second consecutive week the increase in COVID cases in Dartmouth has ticked up. Last week the increase in the number of cases from the week before was 101 and this week the increase is up by 149 cases.

While vaccination totals went up, on average, another 1% for New Bedford and surrounding towns since last week, Dartmouth’s vaccination total stayed the same.

The Dec. 2 report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health showed a slight decrease in COVID-19 cases in New Bedford from last week. There was an increase of 389 cases compared to 485 the week before.

According to data from the MDPH as of Dec. 2, the following cities and towns have reported the difference in new positive COVID-19 cases over the past week:

  • Acushnet: 62 (compared to 61 the week before)

  • Dartmouth: 149 (compared to 101 the week before)

  • Fairhaven: 48 (compared to 69 the week before)

  • New Bedford: 389 (compared to 485 the week before)

Cases of COVID in Greater New Bedford schools

Here are the numbers from the Nov. 18-Dec. 1 report: (NOTE: the report covers two weeks because last week was the Thanksgiving holiday)

New Bedford Public Schools: 78 students, 21 staff

Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical: 32 students, 3 staff

Acushnet: 15 students, 1 staff

Dartmouth: 67 students, 8 staff

Fairhaven: 25 students, 5 staff

Vaccination rates

New Bedford vaccination rates as of Dec. 2 stands at 60,994 individuals partially vaccinated and 52,117 fully vaccinated out of the total 99,980 population.

According to state data as of Dec. 2, the following cities and towns have reported rates of partially and fully vaccinated residents in comparison to total population. Fully vaccinated individuals are two weeks out from receiving either the second dose or the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen one-dose vaccine.

Acushnet

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 69%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 62%

Dartmouth

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 63%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 55%

Fairhaven

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 74%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 64%

New Bedford

  • Individuals with at least one dose: 61%

  • Fully vaccinated individuals: 52%

Children ages 5-11 vaccination rates

New Bedford

  • Children with at least one dose: 8%

  • Fully vaccinated children: 1%

Acushnet

  • Children with at least one dose: 12%

  • Fully vaccinated children: 3%

Dartmouth

  • Children with at least one dose: 15%

  • Fully vaccinated children: 4%

Fairhaven

  • Children with at least one dose: 19%

  • Fully vaccinated children: 4%

Hospitalizations

According to state data as of Dec. 1, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford has a total of 32 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations including ICU. The hospital has a total of 7 confirmed COVID-19 ICU Census. There were 26 confirmed cases and 4 ICU census in the previous week’s report.

Vaccine clinics and testing in New Bedford:

NOTE: All minors need parental consent, provided either in advance online, or in-person at the school or location where the Pfizer for ages 12+ are being offered.

Regular vaccine clinics in New Bedford include:

Mondays: from 2 to 7 p.m. at Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, 181 Hillman St.

Tuesdays: from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at former Fire Station 11, 754 Brock Ave.

Fridays: from 1 to 5 p.m. at PAACA, 360 Coggeshall St.

Several COVID-19 testing sites are available in New Bedford and can be found on the state’s Stop the Spread website: www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test

Find local pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines by entering your zip code at: http://www.vaxfinder.mass.gov

To schedule an in-home vaccination with the New Bedford Health Department, call the department’s main line, 508-991-6199, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Booster Shots Approved for Eligible Recipients: The CDC has approved booster recommendations for Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines. Booster shots are available at local vaccine clinics, for people who are eligible under the following criteria.

Anyone 18 and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is eligible for a booster shot six months or more after their initial series.

Bring your vaccination card when getting a booster shot, to verify eligibility.

For anyone 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, a booster shot is recommended two months or more after their initial shot.

Standard-Times digital producer Linda Roy can be reached at lroy@s-t.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @LindaRoy_SCT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Dartmouth sees uptick in COVID cases in town and schools