KEY POINTS

  • The number of breakthrough deaths represents 0.04% of the state's vaccinated population
  • The state has recorded more than 430,000 breakthrough infections since the start of the pandemic
  • Massachusetts has seen a 69% decline in new cases over the past two weeks

More than 240 fully vaccinated residents in Massachusetts died of COVID-19 over the past week even as case rates continue to decline.

Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, state health officials reported 243 additional COVID-19 deaths among the fully vaccinated, raising Massachusetts’ death toll to 2,032. The number represents 0.04% of all fully vaccinated people in the state.

During the same period, health officials also recorded 12,262 new breakthrough COVID-19 infections. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the state has reported a total of 434,394 cases among the fully vaccinated, representing 8.3% of the inoculated population across Massachusetts.

As of Feb. 5, the state had fully vaccinated 5,222,236 individuals, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

On Tuesday, health officials reported 1,792 new cases among the unvaccinated and vaccinated, bringing the total tally of infections to 1,510,765. There were also 128 additional deaths recorded. Massachusetts has now seen 21,939 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, the Department of Public Health said.

The latest COVID-19 data from the health department comes as Massachusetts witnessed a 69% decline in new cases over the past 14 days, an analysis of data conducted by CNN showed.

But despite the declining cases, members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association are still calling on President Joe Biden to establish an independent Presidential Federal COVID-19 Committee, which will replace a task force that was disbanded when former President Donald Trump left office.

The independent committee will be responsible for forming policies to safeguard health care workers amid the spread of the Omicron variant, as well as help overwhelmed hospitals nationwide.

“Public trust of government agencies is in decline. Therefore, policy based solely on advising from federal employees is likely to be met with more resistance than policy formed by an independent committee,” the Massachusetts Nurses Association, Health Watch USA and National Nurses United wrote in a letter to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. has reported a total of 76,852,768 cases and 905,543 deaths.

More than 60 percent of Austrians support a vaccine mandate, according to a recent opinion poll
More than 60 percent of Austrians support a vaccine mandate, according to a recent opinion poll AFP / JOE KLAMAR
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