Covid-19 by the numbers

The Lincoln Squirrel has compiled some charts from Covid-19 data supplied by the state Department of Public Health. Click any chart to enlarge.

Some observations:

• The New York Times Covid-19 dashboard divides U.S. states into three categories: those where Covid-19 cases are still increasing, those where new cases are slowing, and those where new cases are decreasing. Massachusetts falls into the first category and has the highest cases total of the 22 states in that group. It’s currently #3 in the country (after New York and New Jersey) in total number of cases.
• Though cases in Massachusetts are still increasing, the rate of increase has slowed considerably since peaking on March 25 and has been averaging about 5% a day for the last two weeks.
• Lincoln saw a steady rise in cases after public health officials began posting figures on March 21, but there have been no new cases reported since April 25.
• The state Department of Public Health began publishing town-by-town data on April 16 and is now updating its figures every Wednesday. Among area towns, Lincoln has both the lowest total number of cases and also the lowest prevalence of Covid-19 as a unit of population. Lexington has the highest number of cases as well as the highest prevalence. It also has the largest population and is geographically closest to Boston.