Mass. reports 57,648 new COVID-19 vaccinations, 61 deaths, 1,803 cases

Nurse Darren Maggio prepared a vaccine dose for administration last week at the Old North Church in the North EndJessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

The number of coronavirus vaccinations administered in Massachusetts rose by 57,648 to 1,267,262, state officials reported Thursday.

The number of new vaccinations was larger than on Wednesday, when 43,098 were reported.

The total number of shots administered amounted to 83 percent of the 1,527,150 doses shipped to providers in the state so far, the Department of Public Health said.

The total shots administered included 937,273 first shots and 329,989 second shots. Those who have gotten their second shot of the currently approved two-dose vaccines are considered fully vaccinated.

Massachusetts is in the midst of a high-stakes campaign to vaccinate 4.1 million adults in an effort to bring an end to a pandemic that has sickened hundreds of thousands and caused more than 15,000 deaths in the state.

The DPH also reported 1,803 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the state’s total to 534,827. The department also reported 61 new confirmed coronavirus deaths, bringing the state’s total to 15,373.

The DPH said 38,666 people were estimated to have active cases of the potentially deadly virus, and 1,029 confirmed coronavirus patients were in the hospital.

The DPH also reported that 100,002 more tests had been conducted for coronavirus. The total number of tests administered climbed to more than 15.2 million. New antigen tests were completed for 3,367 people, bringing that total to 530,569.

The DPH reported that the seven-day average rate of positive tests, which is calculated from the total number of tests administered, was at 2.13 percent.

The department said the rate would be 3.6 percent if the effect of college testing programs — in which asymptomatic people can be tested repeatedly in an effort to rapidly identify new cases — is factored out.

New data showed that 64 of the state’s 351 communities are considered high-risk for the virus, down from 110 cities and towns last week and 153 the week before. Lancaster moved into the high-risk category.

Communities removed from the high-risk category this week include Adams, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Bellingham, Dartmouth, Dedham, Dennis, East Bridgewater, Eastham, Everett, Fairhaven, Foxborough, Great Barrington, Halifax, Hamilton, Hampden, Hanover, Hanson, Holbrook, Hudson, Hull, Lunenberg, Malden, Marlborough, Marshfield, Middleton, Monson, Norwood, Palmer, Paxton, Pembroke, Quincy, Randolph, Rochester, Salisbury, Sandwich, Shirley, Southborough, Spencer, Sutton, Townsend, Webster, West Brookfield, West Springfield and Winchendon.

The state’s second surge appears to be on the wane. But public officials are worried about a possible resurgence due to new coronavirus variants, and they’re asking people to continue taking precautions and to get vaccinated as soon as it’s their turn.

To take a deeper dive into the state’s coronavirus statistics click here.

Correspondent Sofia Saric contributed to this story.