New COVID wave hits Boston

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.