PEABODY, MA — Peabody remained in the state’s “high risk” category for community coronavirus spread for the fourth straight week as cases continued to rise sharply in the city.
Peabody recorded 752 positive cases over the past 14 days, compared to 585 cases in the same span leading up to Dec. 3. The town’s cases per 100,000 residents — the sole metric the state used until last month to determine whether cities and towns could move forward in reopening — jumped from 58.5 cases per 100,000 to 84.78 cases per 100,000.
Peabody’s positive test rate rose from 6.93 percent to 8.9 percent.
Peabody is now offering free coronavirus testing for residents in response to the rising rates.
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Drive-up testing will be at the Higgins Middle School from 4 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 16, Dec. 22 and Dec. 29. Residents can preregister for testing with new links sent out each week.
“By working together, we hope to mitigate the impact of this pandemic in our community, and we all look forward to brighter days ahead,” the Peabody Health Department said.
The latest town-by-town report labeled 158 Massachusetts communities as high risk for the virus, up from 97 last week.
The positive test rate over the last two weeks increased in 289 — or 82.3 percent — of the 351 communities in the state. The rate fell in 38 — or 10.8 percent of — communities and held steady in the remaining 24.
There were 50 average daily cases per 100,000 residents of the state over that period, up from 35.7 last week.
PEABODY, PATCH
