Boston public health officials issued a stark COVID-19 warning Friday ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations this weekend, saying a rise in coronavirus and influenza levels is expected to continue into the New Year.
The warning from the Boston Public Health Commission comes as local school administrators asked students and staff to wear masks when they return from winter break next week. And just as hospitals are experiencing “significant strain,” the commission said, hundreds of thousands are expected to flock to the city this weekend for First Night events.
“We are experiencing a significant increase in viral wastewater concentration and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 along with a continued high number of influenza cases and hospitalizations. We expect this trend to continue through January,” said city Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu. “Our hospitals are already under significant strain. Masking indoors and getting vaccinated are strongly recommended and will protect you from severe illness and support our health care system.”
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There were 296 new virus-related hospitalizations as of Thursday, a 23% increase over the past week and a 44% increase over the past two weeks. The total number of hospitalized patients and new hospital admissions are the highest numbers the city has seen since February 2021, according to the commission.
The concentration of COVID-19 in local wastewater also increased by 61% over the past week, and 78% over the past two weeks. That comes as the state Department of Public Health reported Thursday 8,327 new cases, 361 COVID-related hospitalizations, and 113 virus-related deaths over the past week.
At the same time, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper sent a letter informing families that the district plans to adopt “temporary masking” between Jan. 4 and Jan. 13, though she stressed the new policy is not a mandate.
“This is our ask and expectation of students and staff, not a mandate — which will be in effect during the school day on school premises and school buses,” she said, adding, “no one will be disciplined or sent home if they refuse to wear a mask.”
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Skipper said the previous impacts of significant staffing shortages, student absences, and the loss of “critical learning time” led to the decision to change school policy.
Students have also been asked to take a COVID-19 test on the evening of Jan. 3 or the morning of Jan. 4, before the start of the school day. Staff were asked to take a test before returning to work on Jan. 3.
It was this time last year, Skipper said, that Boston schools experienced its largest COVID-19 surge, resulting in absences that made it “nearly impossible” to keep all schools open. A daily average of 1,200 staff members and 8,500 students were absent last January, Skipper said.
The new policy, she said, will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the flu and RSV.
“Data shows these illnesses disproportionately impact Black and Brown families in our city,” Skipper said in a statement. “While this is not a mandate, we’re really leaning on everyone to work together to follow our temporary protocol to ensure we are collectively doing our part to mitigate the risk of exposure for our students and staff in an effort to keep everyone safe as best we can.”
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Around the city, health officials said, uptake of the new Omicron-bivalent booster remains low. Eighty-one percent of residents are fully vaccinated, but only 13% have received the new booster, leaving them “vulnerable for breakthrough infection,” the commission said.
“The new boosters are essential for maintaining the broadest level of protection against the COVID-19 virus and its variants,” officials said in a statement. “[The commission] strongly encourages everybody ages 6 months and older to get the bivalent booster as soon as possible to lower their risk of infection and severe illness.”
And as Boston grapples with rising COVID numbers, it is also dealing with concerning rates of the flu, the commission said. Since Oct. 1, there have been 4,296 confirmed flu cases, including 739 between Dec. 17 and Dec. 23.
Peak flu levels came “much earlier than normal,” the Boston Public Health Commission said, and were “significantly” higher than they were last year. Only 38% of residents in the state have received a flu shot this year, according to state data.
“The 2022 flu season has been particularly concerning so far,” the commission said.