Massachusetts

July 24, 2020

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Tags: CTP Backfill Mistake Correction

On July 24, 2020, we entered confirmed deaths for MA as 8,297. We should have entered 8,279.

March 3, 2020 to April 28, 2020

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Tags: CTP Backfill CTP Backfill Mistake Correction

On April 27, 2020, we restored positive and negative values in MA's timeseries from March 4, 2020 through April 24, 2020 that were previously overwritten by a backfill https://github.com/COVID19Tracking/issues/issues/251We determined that restoring these values will create the most consistent timeseries of these metrics by date of report.We also updated the values of Positive Cases (PCR) On April 28, 2020 and earlier to match the number of cases, since we determined that all the cases at that time were confirmed by a PCR test.

February 25, 2021

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Tags: State Anomalies

On February 25, 2021, Massachusetts did not provide updated figure for Cumulative Hospitalized.

January 30, 2021

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Tags: State Anomalies State Data Note 

On January 30, 2021, Massachusetts reported that due to a technical issue, the reporting of roughly 24,800 PCR test results (including both positives and negatives) which should have been included in the tests reported on January 29, 2021 was delayed. These tests were reported on January 30, 2021 instead, leading to a higher-than-normal test increase that day.

January 30, 2021

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Tags: State Data Note

On January 30, 2021, Massachusetts reported that due to a technical issue, the reporting of roughly 24,800 PCR test results (including both positives and negatives) which should have been included in the tests reported on January 29, 2021 was delayed. These tests were reported on January 30, 2021 instead, leading to a higher-than-normal test increase that day.

January 21, 2021

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Tags: State / Metric No Update

On January 21st, 2021, the state of MA did not update metrics on the weekly public health report, including antibody tests, cumulative hospitalizations and recovered.

January 4, 2021 to March 7, 2021

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Tags: CTP Process / Source Change

On January 4th 2021, Massachusetts updated its dashboard. The language describing the Antigen tests changed from individuals to tests, but the numbers stayed in the same ballpark. It is unclear whether this signals a change in definition to MA antigen reporting.

January 4, 2021

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Tags: State Annotation / Source Change

On January 4th, 2021, Massachusetts replaced its PDF "dashboard" with an interactive dashboard.

January 1, 2021

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Tags: State / Metric No Update State Data Note

On January 1, 2021, Alaska, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, the Northern Mariana Islands, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont did not update their data, presumably due to the New Years holiday.

December 25, 2020

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Tags: State / Metric No Update

On December 25, 2020, Alaska, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont did not update their data due to the Christmas holiday.

December 3, 2020

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Tags: State Anomalies State Data Note

On December 3, 2020, Massachusetts released a public note identifying 680 additional cases due to a laboratory issue.

November 26, 2020

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Tags: State / Metric No Update

On November 26, 2020, the listed states either released partial updates or did not update their data at all.

November 25, 2020

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Tags: State Anomalies State Data Note

On November 25, 2020, Massachusetts reported that their data “was delayed today due to a technological issue that resulted in an interruption of the data download. As a result, today’s numbers reflect case counts from up to a 30 hour period” instead of the usual previous 24-hour period.

November 26, 2020 to November 27, 2020

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Tags: State / Metric No Update State Data Note

On November 23, 2020, Massachusetts released a public note saying that data will not be updated on November 26, 2020, and on November 27, 2020, they will release two day's worth of data.

November 2, 2020

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Tags: CTP Backfill State Annotation / Source Change

MA redesigned the dashboard and it took awhile to find the Total PCR Tests (people) number in the download. Backfilled today's value and negatives.

November 2, 2020

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On November 3, 2020, Massachusetts changed their publish time to 5pm ET and updated their dashboard PDF. The dashboard update removed our source for Cumulative hospitalizations and Total antibody tests (people)

October 27, 2020

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On 10/27, we used confirmed + probable calculations for both Cases (confirmed plus probable) and Deaths (confirmed and probable). We typically use the case and death values above their race/ethnicity pie charts in the Massachusetts daily PDF, but these values were unaligned with the raw data that Massachusetts publishes, while the calculation was consistent with the raw data file.

October 22, 2020

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On 10/21, MA released a public note saying that the Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report will be posted on Thursdays beginning 10/22.

September 23, 2020

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Tags: CTP Backfill CTP Backfill Missed Update

MA published late on 9/23, backfilling data from "dashboards"

January 22, 2020 to September 10, 2020

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Tags: CTP API / Logic Changes

As of September 11, 2020, Massachusetts’ total test results reflect total specimens. The number of unique people tested is available in our API as totalTestsPeopleViral.

January 22, 2020 to September 10, 2020

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Tags: CTP Backfill New Dataset / Timeseries

Backfill PCR positives from state raw files

September 2, 2020

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On September 2, 2020, MA reported that it had shifted to using the more restrictive August 6 definition of probable cases released by the CSTE. This change caused a significant decrease in several data points where probable cases or probable deaths were included, particularly the overall case count, which dropped by more than 7,000. Historical data was also affected. The new classification is a modified version of CSTE 8/5 guideline. It uses two criteria: (1) positive antigen test or(2) covid-19 listed as cause of death on death certificate. Effectively, people that "have COVID symptoms AND were exposed to someone with COVID" are no longer considered probable cases by Massachusetts.

September 2, 2020

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Massachusetts updated its definition of probable cases, adopting (a version of?) the 8/5 CSTE

January 22, 2020 to August 12, 2020

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Tags: CTP Backfill New Dataset / Timeseries

On August 31, 2020 we updated Massachusetts' **Total PCR Tests (specimens)** before August 12, 2020 based on the state's "Tests by Date" dataset, extending the column back to January 22, 2020.

August 22, 2020 to August 23, 2020

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On August 24, 2020 MA's dashboard had this message: "PLEASE NOTE: Due to the planned upgrade by DPH of its electronic laboratory reporting system during the weekend of August 22-23, today’s data report includes information reported to DPH from 8:30 AM Friday to 5 PM Friday (less than 24 hours) and so numbers may appear lower than usual. No report will publish on Sunday. Monday’s report will include all laboratory results, cases, and deaths received after 5 PM Friday and will be assigned to their respective test dates."

August 20, 2020

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MA stopped reporting Probable Cases in its daily report on August 12, although it still reports them weekly, as it does probable deaths. On 8/19, MA reported probable cases in its weekly report, causing a spike in the case count. We are now using the Total Case Count number underneath the race/ethnicity pie chart, which includes both probable and confirmed cases and is updated daily, for our Cases (p+c). The past week of Cases (p&c) could be backfilled.

August 12, 2020 to August 13, 2020

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States Grades not published for 8/12-8/13

August 12, 2020

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MA updated after Pub Shift; Also Total Antigen Tests (people) was added

August 12, 2020

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On 8/12, MA now only reports Probable cases and deaths weekly, in the weekly “dashboard”; updated source notes.

July 23, 2020 to July 24, 2020

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MA updated their website after our publication shift on 7/23 which resulted in the missed update. On 7/24, MA updated late again, and we used the 7/23 dashboard to fill in numbers on 7/24. Backfilled with the correct values from the respective dates.

August 1, 2020 to August 5, 2020

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MA updated after pub shift on 8/1 and again on 8/5. Both have now been updated with the correct data for all fields

July 31, 2020

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On July 31, MA noted that "Delays in the reporting of test results to DPH from multiple laboratories, including large national commercial laboratories, are reflected in today's case counts. However, these positive test results have been assigned retrospectively to the appropriate date of test." We will backfill our own case counts for MA as soon as possible.

July 29, 2020

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MA updated after the pub shift on 7/29, so we had to carry over all the data from the previous day. Data for all columns they report has now been added for 7/29 based on the state's archived daily dashboard.

July 23, 2020

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Tags: State Anomalies State Data Note

On July 23, 2020, Massachusetts noted that the large decrease in Now hospitalized was due in part to changes in federal reporting and to hospitals giving "a more accurate accounting of which patients should be reported as “suspected” COVID patients."

June 30, 2020

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Tags: State Anomalies

On June 30, 2020, the value for Massachusetts' Deaths (confirmed and probable) dropped by 41 due to data cleaning.