Officials are postponing fall sports in Worcester, citing the city's recent uptick in coronavirus cases. The disrupted season, titled Fall 2, will be held between the winter and spring.
The city has seen coronavirus clusters in long-term care facilities, restaurants, group gatherings and at the local fire department.
Health officials have reported 6,550 total positive cases, an increase of 141 over last week. But 9% of cases are people under 19 years old, according to officials. The weekly positive test rate has also increased.
"Our goal was to just get all students and teachers back to the classroom as safely as possible," Mayor Joseph Petty said.
Worcester is one of 40 communities considered to have the highest risk of spreading COVID-19 in Massachusetts, according to the latest data on the pandemic, including the updated community-level risk assessment map. The city has been in the red zone for four consecutive weeks.
The data, released weekly by the Department of Public Health, includes a breakdown of the total number of coronavirus cases in each Massachusetts city and town, as well as the new map.
Ambassadors are deployed throughout the city handing out masks and hand sanitizer while encouraging people to maintain social distance.
Official said colleges in the area are doing well when it comes to containing the virus through testing and contact tracing.
