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Mass. reports 154 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 5 new deaths

Melissa Leaston of Whittier Street Health Center used a nasal swab to collect a specimen in Roxbury last week.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts among confirmed cases climbed by 5 to 8,115, the state reported Monday. The number of confirmed cases climbed by 154, bringing the total to 105,783, as key metrics the state is using to monitor the reopening remained generally steady.

The state also reported no new probable-case deaths, with that total remaining at 215, and an additional 76 probable cases for a total of 6,044.

The state said 8,587 new individuals had been given the coronavirus test, bringing the total of individuals tested to 960,099. The total number of tests administered climbed to 1,225,332. And the state reported that new antibody tests had been completed for 315 people, bringing that total to 80,888.

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Meanwhile, two of the four key metrics that state officials are looking at for the state’s phased reopening dropped, while the other two remained steady.

The seven-day weighted average of positive coronavirus tests stayed steady Sunday for the fourth consecutive day at 1.7 percent, the state reported, a 94 percent drop from mid-April.

The three-day average of hospitalized coronavirus patients dropped slightly, falling to 575 as of Sunday from 596 the day before. That figure represents an 84 percent drop from mid-April.

The number of hospitals using surge capacity remained steady at two as of Sunday, a 90 percent drop from April 15.

The three-day average of deaths among confirmed cases also fell slightly to 15 on Friday, down from 21 a day earlier. That figure has dropped 90 percent since mid-April.

The numbers were released the same day that Boston entered Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, a week after most of Massachusetts. Under this phase, gyms, movie theaters, and museums and historical sites are allowed to reopen with restrictions.

Governor Charlie Baker warned residents during a press conference Monday to continue wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and good hygiene, and staying home when they’re feeling sick.

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“COVID is not going to take the summer off, and our success in slowing the spread and containing the virus will continue to depend on the efforts of all the residents here in Massachusetts,” he said.

Other states aren’t faring as well.

Florida on Sunday shattered the record among US states for the largest single-day increase, with more than 15,000 newly confirmed cases.

In California, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday extended the closure of bars and indoor dining statewide and ordered gyms, churches, and hair salons closed in most places as coronavirus cases keep rising. The state’s two largest school districts, San Diego and Los Angeles (which is the second largest school district in the country), also announced their students would start the school year with online learning only.

California confirmed 8,358 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. Cases have increased 47% over the past two weeks, while hospitalizations have jumped 28% during the same time period. Overall, California has reported more than 329,100 cases and more than 7,000 deaths, though infections are probably higher because some people don’t show symptoms and there’s a lack of testing.

Meanwhile, global health officials warned that the pandemic will intensify unless more countries adopt comprehensive plans to combat it.

“There will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future,” said the director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday.

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Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.



Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JaclynReiss