Two years since first COVID-19 case detected in Massachusetts, nearly 1.5 million total

BOSTON, MASS. (WLNE)- Tuesday marks two years since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified Massachusetts health officials of the first COVID-19 case diagnosed in the state.

On February 1, 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Health confirmed that a 20-year-old man living in Boston tested positive for the virus after returning from travel to Wuhan, China.

The state has seen nearly 1.5 million cases total since then, shows the DPH’s interactive coronavirus dashboard.

As of Monday, 12,127 new confirmed cases were detected in the state bringing the total to 1,485,623.

Hospitals in the state have seen 2,202 new patients hospitalized for COVID-19, as well as, 83 new confirmed deaths reported.

This brings the death toll in the state to 21,219.

The DPH noted a decline of test positivity, dropping the 7-day average percent to 7.43% within the last week.