COVID 19 Update Archive For The Month Of September 2021

by Art and Maura Keene

As Of Monday, May 24, 2021 The Indy’s COVID-19 Daily Update became the COVID-19 Weekly Update. As of Wednesday July 14 ,2021 the Weekly Update moved to Wednesdays. Each Wednesday we will post the latest confirmed case counts for Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Massachusetts, for the nation and for the globe.  

Making Sense of the Numbers
Authorities caution that the confirmed case count is a substantial underestimate of the actual number of cases.  

We rely on well-vetted sources to produce our daily update and draw mostly from the following: Center for Disease Control (CDC), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Johns Hopkins University, Yale School of Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, STAT News, and the Twitter feeds and/or blogs of Andy Slavitt, Greg Gonsolves, Ezekiel Emanuel, Marc Lipsich, and David Wallace-Wells.

Archives
The Indy began posting COVID-19 Daily Update on March 18, 2020. Here are links to archives of previous months’ posts. March, April , May,  June,  July,  August,  September,  October,  November,  December,  January, February, March 21, April 21, May 21, June 21, July 21, August 21
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Henceforth, numbers in parentheses will indicate increase or decrease in count from previous Wednesday.

Numbers in parentheses indicate increase since the previous week.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY September 29 as of 8 AM
Confirmed Cases in MA – 808,673 (+11,748).
Deaths: 18,577 (+97)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –3526 (+67) Currently Active –73 (-63)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 471 (+100)
Amherst Public Schools Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 16 (+6)
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 44,054,825 (+803,640)
Confirmed Deaths – 711,222 (+14,240)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:233,662,380
Deaths: 4,781,400 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
Over 36,000 Breakthrough Cases Have Now Been Reported In Massachusetts
(NBC Boston)
COVID-19 Cases Expected To Rise In Massachusetts But High Vax Rate Should Keep Hospitalizations Manageable
(Boston Globe)
Pfizer Greenlights COVID Booster For High Risk Individuals And People Over 65
(New York Times)
New Guidelines For COVID Boosters Explained
(Vox)
Latest Timing On COVID Shots For Kids
(NBC Chicago)
FDA: Winter Flu and COVID Will Require Adjustments To Daily Life
(CNN)
Red COVID: Partisan Pattern In Case Counts Growing More Extreme
(Seattle Times)
Is America Prepared For The Next Pandemic?
(The Atlantic)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY September 22 as of 8 AM
Confirmed Cases in MA – 796,925 (+13,175).
Deaths: 18,480 (+182)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –3459 (+214) Currently Active –136 (-162)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 371 (+222)
Amherst Public Schools Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 10 (+0)
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 43,251,185 (+962,980)
Confirmed Deaths – 696,982 (+14,641)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:230,483,116
Deaths: 4,725,546 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
UMass Amherst Reports 371 COVID-19 Cases Two Weeks Into Classes
(Boston Globe)
Over 30,000 Breakthrough Cases Have Been Reported In Massachusetts
(NBC Boston)
Massachusetts Parents Demand Remote Learning Option Amid Delta Spike
(WWLP)
Massachusetts State Police Union Fighting Governor Baker’s Vaccine Mandate
(WCVB)
COVID Vaccine Prompts Strong Immune Response In Young Children
(New York Times)
Pfizer Says Its COVID Vaccine Is Safe And Works Well For Kids Aged 5-11
(Science News)
COVID Vaccine For Young Children Could Be Available By Halloween
(CNN)
Which Countries Are Vaccinating Children and Why
(BBC)
Moderna COVID Vaccine Appears To Have Slight Edge On Pfizer For Long Term Protection
(New York Times)
CDC Panel Recommends Pfizer Booster For People Aged 65 And Older
(USA Today)
Health Officials Bracing For Busy Winter
(CNN)
Six Rules That Will Define Our Next Pandemic Winter
(The Atlantic)
How Do Vaccinated People Spread COVID-19? What The Science Says
(Nature)
At the University of Iowa Instructors Are Forbidden From Asking Students To Wear A Mask
(The New Yorker)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY September 15 as of 8 AM
Confirmed Cases in MA – 783,750 (+12,483).
Deaths: 18,298 (+52)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –3245 (+281) Currently Active –298 (+246)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 149 (+127)
Amherst Public Schools Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 10
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 42,288,205 (+1,081,533)
Confirmed Deaths – 682,341 (+13,319)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:226,773,186
Deaths: 4,665,306 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:

Massachusetts Reported 3,919 Breakthrough COVID Cases Last Week
(WCVB)
Amherst Has Highest COVID Rate In Communities With Over 10,000 People
(MassLive)
UMass COVID Cases Jump By Nearly 400 In Last Week
(MassLive)
UMass Students Take To Townhouses As Substitute For Cancelled Tailgating
(Daily Collegian)
Over 243,000 US School Kids Test Positive For COVID-19 In One Week, Setting New Record
(ABC News)
US Hospitals Are Full Of COVID-19 Patients, Forcing Rationing Of Care
(Vox)
Unvaccinated 11 Times More Likely To Die Of COVID
(Vox)
1 In 500 US Residents Has Died From COVID-19
(CNN)
Healthy Americans Are Seeking Coronavirus Booster Prior To Approval
(New York Times)
When Will COVID Booster Shots Be Widely Available?
(NBC Boston)
COVID Vaccines For Younger Children Could Be Authorized Later This Fall
(CNN)
The Johnson And Johnson Vaccine Conundrum
(New York Times)
Highly Vaccinated Israel Is Seeing Dramatic Surge In New COVID Cases
(NPR)
Singapore Experiences Biggest COVID Surge In Year Despite 81% Vaccination Rate
(The Guardian)
Inside The COVID Outbreak Sweeping Through The Boston Red Sox
(Boston Globe)
College Football Season Is Here And So Is The Delta Variant
(NBC News)
The Delta Variant And Babies: What Parents Need To Know
(NPR)
What We Know About The mu Variant
(USA Today)
Why Rapid At-Home COVID Tests Cost So Much In The USA
(Kaiser Health News)
Coronavirus Ventilation: A Plan To Stop Every Respiratory Virus At Once
(The Atlantic)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY September 8 as of 8 AM
Confirmed Cases in MA – 771,267 (+11,398).
Deaths: 18,298 (+52)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst – 2964 (+54) Currently Active –52 (+28)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 22
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 41,206,672 (+1,092,573)
Confirmed Deaths – 669,022 (+11,112)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:222,903,649
Deaths: 4,603,035 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.)

News:
Breakthrough Infections In Massachusetts Now At 40%. Unvaccinated Dominate Hospitalizations
(MassLive)
Who Is Testing Positive For COVID At The Highest Rates In Massachusetts?
(MassLive)
Here’s Who Gets COVID-19 Breakthrough Cases In Massachusetts
(Boston Globe)
UMass Needs Mandatory Weekly COVID Testing This Fall
(Daily Collegian)
More Than 10 Red Sox Players Test Positive For COVID
(Sports Illustrated)
US Surpasses 40 Million Known COVID Cases
(New York Times)
Nearly 300% More US COVID Patients Hospitalized Than A Year Ago
(The Guardian)
Health Officials Advise White House To Scale Back Booster Plan For New
(Boston Globe)
The Looming Crisis Of Kids and COVID
(US News)
Child COVID Hospitalizations Up In Low Vaccine States
(Center For Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
Schools Superintendent Discusses Tragedy Happening Across America
(CNN)
Schools Opening After Labor Day Could See Fresh Surge Without Mitigation Measures
(CNN)
When Will The Delta Surge End?
(New York Times)
US Boosts Tracking Of COVID Strains As Mu Variant Draws Scrutiny
(Science)
Breaking Down The Meaning Of COVID Vaccine Effectiveness
(Time)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY September 1 as of 8 AM
Confirmed Cases in MA – 759,869 (+11,116).
Deaths: 18,246 (+51)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst – 2910 (+22) Currently Active –24 (+6)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 UMass Dashboard Discontinued Updates On May 15
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 40,114,099 (+1,144,174)
Confirmed Deaths – 657,910 (+9,749)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:218,727,526
Deaths: 4,537,790 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:

Massachusetts Has 3704 New COVID Breakthrough Cases. That’s More Than 500 Per Day
(NBC Boston)
Students At Amherst College Push Back Against COVID Rules
(Boston.com)
Virus Outbreak Among Vaccinated Students Prompts Duke To TIghten COVID Restrictions
(WRAL-Durham)
How The Delta Variant Infiltrated An Elementary School Classroom
(New York Times)
Texas Schools Have Had More Than 50,000 Cases Of COVID-19 In Last Few Weeks
(Houston Public Media)
Where Are Hospitals Overwhelmed By COVID?
(NPR)
Governor Ron DeSantis Appeals Mask Mandate Ruling As Florida Sets COVID Death Record
(The Guardian)
CDC: Vaccine Effectiveness Against Severe Disease Has Not Declined Much
(CNN)
Fauci: Dramatic Data From Israel Support COVID-19 Boosters
(Medpage Today)
Israel Widens COVID Third Shot To All Aged 12 And Over
(Times of Israel)
Ivermectin Demand Surges Though It Doesn’t Work On COVID-19
(New York Times)
Inside The Group Peddling A Bogus COVID Treatment
(Time)
When Will A COVID Vaccine Be Available For Younger Kids?
(Time)
How Safe Is It For Kids To Go Back To School During Delta Surge?
(Vox)
EU Set To Propose Travel Restrictions On US Visitors
(New York Times)
Airborne Transmission Of Respiratory Viruses
(Science)
How Coronavirus Spreads Through A Population And How We Can Beat It
(The Guardian)
What We Actually Know About Waning Immunity
(The Atlantic)