Massachusetts: 24 additional coronavirus deaths, 1,334 new cases

BOSTON —The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed 24 new COVID-19-related deaths across the state as of Saturday afternoon, bringing the state’s total to 216.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to a new total of 11,736 Saturday, up from 10,402 on Friday, DPH reported.

The DPH said 480 of the cases have been reported statewide at 94 different long-term care facilities.

County breakdown of cases:

Barnstable County: 330
Berkshire County: 253
Bristol County: 601
Dukes County: 7
Essex County: 1400
Franklin County: 95
Hampden County: 733
Hampshire County: 125
Middlesex County: 2468
Nantucket County: 9
Norfolk County: 1199
Plymouth County: 898
Suffolk County: 2429
Worcester County: 915
The county of residence of 274 Massachusetts patients are unknown.

As of Saturday afternoon, DPH said 68,800 people have been tested in Massachusetts.

According to state health officials, patients are known to have been hospitalized in 1,068 cases, while 3,378 patients did not have to be hospitalized. DPH said 7,290 cases remain under investigation.

The number of people currently under quarantine in Massachusetts grew sharply over the past week, according to weekly data released Wednesday by the Department of Public Health.

The latest update released on April 1 indicated that 5,176 people are in quarantine and being monitored as of Tuesday evening. That’s up from last week, when the number of people under active quarantine was 2,147.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have completed quarantine also grew from 1,655 last week to 3,218 this week.

A state’s stay-at-home advisory and mandatory closure of nonessential businesses is in effect in Massachusetts through May 4.

It instructs all residents except for employees of essential businesses to stay home, with an exception for outdoor exercise and trips to get needed items such as groceries or medicine.

President Donald Trump extended federal social distancing guidelines until the end of April.

The governor urged residents to respect the guidance and “play their part,” in order to protect public health and help officials limit the surge in cases that is expected to come around mid-April.

Baker called distancing “our single greatest weapon” against the virus.