New COVID wave hits Boston
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
A new wave of COVID-19 is hitting Boston nearly three years after the start of the pandemic.
Why it matters: Boston officials are asking people to mask up, maintain social distancing and avoid large crowds while the spread is still high.
- UMass Boston announced it would reinstate its indoor mask mandate starting today. Students and faculty are also required to mask up in crowded outdoor settings.
Driving the news: Suffolk County is now experiencing high community spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC.
- Dec. 28 through Jan. 4, Boston hospitals reported 306 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, a 41% increase from two weeks before, according to the Boston Public Health Commission.
Poop stats: The pandemic proof is in the pudding, or in this case, in the human waste processed by the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- As of Dec. 29, viral concentration in Suffolk County's wastewater was up 42% over the previous week and 116% over the last two weeks.
What they're saying: “We should all be masking indoors, staying home when sick and testing for COVID-19," Health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu said in a statement.
- Ojikutu said the numbers speak for themselves, despite the fact that some people may have “pandemic fatigue.”
Details: Boston is still offering COVID-19 vaccines, booster shots, flu shots or PCR tests at several sites throughout the city.