The Berkshires' Classic Hits Station

Apparently(just in case you haven't been watching the numbers), the state of Massachusetts has reached a new milestone in regard to the life(as we know it)-changing coronavirus. As of Tuesday, December 28, the Bay State has now surpassed 1 million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports more than 1 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Bay State as the omicron variant drives the most recent surge in numbers.

The Mass DPH reported an additional 9,228 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the current total to 1,002,266. The positive test rate in Massachusetts over the last seven days is now over 11%, which is a record high.

There are currently 1,707 people hospitalized with COVID-19, while 381 patients are in intensive care. The DPH also reports 63 new deaths bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 19,692.

Despite areas of New England having some of the country's highest vaccination rates, similar spikes in cases are being seen all over the Northeast. Public health officials reported 20,247 new breakthrough COVID-19 cases in the past week.

A "breakthrough" case is when an individual tests positive for COVID-19 after they've been fully vaccinated. The mark of 20,247 is the highest one-week total reported since the state began releasing breakthrough data. That number is considerably higher than last week's total of 13,919.

More and more face masks mandates are returning across the state, as hospitals get more crowded. As a matter of fact, Massachusetts recently mobilized hundreds of National Guard members to help understaffed hospitals with nonclinical tasks.

For more on the story, and to take a look at the numbers, visit Mass.gov's website here.