Mass. reports 235 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, 9 new deaths

A COVID-19 testing site in Framingham.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

The death toll from confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rose by nine to 9,010, the state Department of Public Health reported Monday. The number of confirmed cases climbed by 235, bringing the total to 123,139.

State officials also reported that 12,201 more people had been tested for coronavirus, bringing the total to more than 1.96 million. The number of administered tests climbed to more than 3.03 million. The state also reported that new antibody tests had been completed for 67 people, bringing that total to 116,598.

The seven-day rate of positive tests stayed at 0.8 percent — the lowest that metric has been since reporting began — for the third day in a row.

Meanwhile, the three-day average of hospitalized coronavirus patients fell slightly from 325 to 315 in Monday’s report. The lowest that metric has been is 302.

The number of hospitals using surge capacity stayed level at one, and the three-day average of deaths from confirmed cases fell slightly from 15 to 13; the lowest that number has been is nine.

The numbers were released as the level of traces of coronavirus detected in the wastewater at the Deer Island treatment plant have been edging upward again in recent days.

Data posted on the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority website show levels for the northern portion of the MWRA system rising to where they were around mid-May.

Tests looking for traces of the coronavirus in wastewater have found the amount has edged upward in recent days.MWRA

The level for the southern portion of the MWRA’s system has not risen so sharply, according to the data posted Friday, which reflected tests through last Wednesday. The data is expected to be updated on Tuesday.

Wastewater from 43 communities ends up at the plant on Boston Harbor. It is tested as part of a pilot project by Cambridge-based Biobot Analytics Inc.

The idea of collecting the data, which is shared with state agencies, is that it could serve as an early warning system for coronavirus cases.

The northern portion of the MWRA system includes a number of communities that the state has recently identified as coronavirus hot spots that need special attention, including Everett, Chelsea, and Revere.