97 Massachusetts cities and towns are now at high risk for coronavirus [+chart] - Boston Herald

More than a quarter of Massachusetts cities and towns are now in the high-risk “red” zone for coronavirus transmission, with several communities reporting “mind-boggling” numbers of new cases even before the expected post-Thanksgiving surge.

The number of high-risk cities and towns climbed to 97 this week, according to the latest report from the Department of Public Health, up from 81 last week and continuing an upward trend throughout November.

Red-zone communities this week include Abington, Acushnet, Attleboro, Barnstable, Bellingham, Berkley, Billerica, Blackstone, Boxford, Brockton, Charlton, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Dartmouth, Dighton, Douglas, Dracut, Edgartown, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Freetown, Gardner, Georgetown, Granby, Hampden, Hanover, Haverhill, Holden, Holyoke, Hopedale, Hudson, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leicester, Lenox, Leominster, Littleton, Lowell, Ludlow, Lunenburg and Lynn.

The number of “yellow” moderate-risk communities ticked down to 138 from 144 last week, and the number of “green” low-risk communities dropped to 20 from 27.

called the number of new infections in his city “mind-boggling” and said Thanksgiving travel and gatherings would act as “gasoline that’s been poured on this fire” of community spread