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Massachusetts

Massachusetts has lowest gun suicide rate in the country, 4th lowest overall suicide rate: Report

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The Bay State has the lowest gun suicide rate in the country and the fourth lowest overall suicide rate, according to a new report that shows how states with lower rates of gun ownership and stronger gun laws have the lowest suicide rates.

On the other hand, states with the highest suicide rates have higher gun ownership rates and weaker gun violence prevention laws, the Violence Policy Center reported in its analysis of 2020 data from the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Massachusetts’ gun suicide rate in 2020 was the lowest for the entire U.S. — 1.94 gun suicides per 100,000 residents. That compares to the national gun suicide rate of 7.37 per 100,000.

The state in 2020 reported 134 gun suicides, which represented 22% of the Bay State’s 618 total suicides that year.

Massachusetts overall had the fourth lowest suicide rate of 8.96 suicides per 100,000 residents. The state with the lowest overall suicide rate in 2020 was New Jersey (7.64 suicides per 100,000 residents) with a gun suicide rate of 2.04 gun suicides per 100,000 residents.

New York ranked second lowest (overall suicide rate of 8.49 suicides per 100,000 residents) with a gun suicide rate of 2.39 gun suicides per 100,000 residents. Rhode Island ranked third lowest (overall suicide rate of 8.89 suicides per 100,000 residents) with a gun suicide rate of 2.84 gun suicides per 100,000 residents.

In each of these four states, guns were used in 32% or fewer of the suicides reported that year and all had a household gun ownership rate below 21%. Compared to the three states with the highest suicide rates (Wyoming, Alaska and Montana), each of these states has stronger gun violence prevention laws.

“Year after year, suicide leads our nation’s annual gun toll of more than 45,000 dead,” said Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann. “The unique lethality of firearms means that a suicide attempt with a gun, as compared to other, less lethal means, is far more likely to be completed.

“People who use a gun to kill themselves aren’t necessarily more suicidal, they just have the tragic misfortune of having the most lethal means available to them in their time of depression and turmoil,” Sugarmann added.

The Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence noted that the Bay State has the fourth lowest suicide rate “in part due to our strong gun laws,” adding in a tweet, “Strong gun laws save lives.”

Massachusetts weather forecast: Will Ian’s remnants impact Massachusetts?

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As Tropical Storm Ian strengthens and likely becomes a major hurricane while approaching Florida, Boston-area meteorologists are keeping their eyes on the path to see if its remnants will make their way to New England later this week.

It’s “certainly a possibility” that Ian’s bluster will impact Massachusetts, but there’s high uncertainty in the forecast with the storm being so far away at this time.

“Things are very iffy about what becomes of Ian when it moves inland,” Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane forecaster, told the Herald on Sunday. “There is some computer information that shows some rain as early as Saturday night, but there’s a lot of uncertainty.

“We’ll have to keep tabs with how things change with this,” added Kottlowski, who’s also a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

The farther east the storm tracks, the more likely the system will come up the coast quicker and impact New England, he said.

The more west Ian goes, the remnants should stay south of New England, he added.

The National Weather Service’s Boston office also reported that there’s high uncertainty on whether or not the moisture from Ian will eventually get pulled northward into southern New England.

Some of the forecast models keep the rainfall to the region’s south, while others bring it up into this area. Meteorologists will need a few more days to have a better idea.

“It’s certainly a possibility, but it’s not looking like the case at this moment in time,” said Matthew Belk, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office. “We’ll see how things change over the next few days.”

As for the forecast ahead of next weekend, very pleasant temps in the 70s should start the week on Monday and Tuesday with mainly dry weather, other than a spot shower or two.

Then temps should cool down into the 60s later in the week, but dry weather should prevail.

“It will feel like fall toward the end of the week,” Belk said.

BOSTON, MA September 25: Nice evening to walk as the rain held off, Sunday, September 25, 2022, at the Public Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo By Jim Michaud/ Boston Herald)
BOSTON, MA September 25: Nice evening to walk as the rain held off, Sunday, September 25, 2022, at the Public Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo By Jim Michaud/ Boston Herald)

Boston weather forecast: Will Ian’s remnants impact Massachusetts?

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As Tropical Storm Ian strengthens and likely becomes a major hurricane while approaching Florida, Boston-area meteorologists are keeping their eyes on the path to see if its remnants will make their way to New England later this week.

It’s “certainly a possibility” that Ian’s bluster will impact Massachusetts, but there’s high uncertainty in the forecast with the storm being so far away at this time.

“Things are very iffy about what becomes of Ian when it moves inland,” Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane forecaster, told the Herald on Sunday. “There is some computer information that shows some rain as early as Saturday night, but there’s a lot of uncertainty.

“We’ll have to keep tabs with how things change with this,” added Kottlowski, who’s also a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

The farther east the storm tracks, the more likely the system will come up the coast quicker and impact New England, he said.

The more west Ian goes, the remnants should stay south of New England, he added.

The National Weather Service’s Boston office also reported that there’s high uncertainty on whether or not the moisture from Ian will eventually get pulled northward into southern New England.

Some of the forecast models keep the rainfall to the region’s south, while others bring it up into this area. Meteorologists will need a few more days to have a better idea.

“It’s certainly a possibility, but it’s not looking like the case at this moment in time,” said Matthew Belk, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office. “We’ll see how things change over the next few days.”

As for the forecast ahead of next weekend, very pleasant temps in the 70s should start the week on Monday and Tuesday with mainly dry weather, other than a spot shower or two.

Then temps should cool down into the 60s later in the week, but dry weather should prevail.

“It will feel like fall toward the end of the week,” Belk said.

BOSTON, MA September 25: Nice evening to walk as the rain held off, Sunday, September 25, 2022, at the Public Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo By Jim Michaud/ Boston Herald)
BOSTON, MA September 25: Nice evening to walk as the rain held off, Sunday, September 25, 2022, at the Public Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo By Jim Michaud/ Boston Herald)

Massachusetts reports 9,091 new COVID cases, a 15% increase from last week

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State health officials on Thursday reported more than 9,000 confirmed COVID cases from the last week, a 15% jump week over week as the positive test rate rose again.

The state’s daily average of 1,299 COVID cases from the last week is an increase from the daily rate of 1,134 infections during the previous week.

The infection counts going up follows the recent rise in the Boston-area COVID wastewater data. The COVID wastewater tracker throughout the pandemic has been the first indication of cases at the community level, and the data has helped predict surges.

The positive test average had been climbing as the omicron BA.5 subvariant took over, but the rate went down in recent weeks. Now, it appears to be going back up. The seven-day positive test rate is now 7.48%, up from 7.32% last week.

The very infectious BA.5 variant is now responsible for 84.4% of new cases in New England, a drop from last week, according to this week’s update from the CDC. The omicron BA.4.6 variant appears to be on the rise, accounting for 9.7% of new cases.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is now reporting its COVID data on a weekly basis, reflecting the evolving COVID response in the state. Previously, the data had been reported five days a week.

The state reported 45 new COVID deaths over the past week, bringing the state’s total to 21,646 recorded deaths since the start of the pandemic. The daily average of deaths is now six, which is much lower than the daily death rate during the initial omicron surge.

The state reported that 590 total patients are hospitalized with COVID, which is down one patient from this time last week.

More than 5.4 million people in the state have been fully vaccinated, and more than 3.2 million people have gotten at least one booster dose. Also, the state reported that 783,339 additional booster doses have been administered.

Boston reports untreated sewage discharge, a less common event this summer amid severe drought

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The Boston Water and Sewer Commission on Monday night reported an untreated sewage discharge, a significantly less common event this summer amid the severe drought.

Other communities also reported combined sewer overflows following the recent rainfall, sparking warnings to avoid swimming in local rivers and bodies of water because of bacteria and other pollutants.

In Boston, the sewage discharge occurred at East Boston’s Sumner Street Upper Inner Harbor location — with the overflow heading into the Boston Harbor. About 100,000 gallons of discharge were recorded.

“Avoid contact with these water bodies for 48 hours after the discharge or overflow ceases due to increased health risks from bacteria and other pollutants,” the Boston Water and Sewer Commission overflow notification stated.

Combined sewers collect both wastewater and stormwater, and convey it to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority for treatment.

During large wet weather events, combined sewers may reach capacity and the untreated combined flow is diverted to combined sewer overflows that spill into local bodies of water. This relief measure helps prevent sewage backups into homes and businesses.

Also on Tuesday, the Newburyport Health Department issued a public health warning due to a combined sewer overflow in Lowell.

“The Newburyport Health Department recommends that the public, including pets, avoid contact with the Merrimack River for 48 hours following a sewage discharge or overflow due to the increased health risks from bacteria and other pollutants associated with urban stormwater runoff and discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater,” the city agency wrote in its warning.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority also reported treated discharge from its Somerville Marginal facility along the Mystic River Monday night.

The Authority estimated that it was about 200,000 gallons of treated discharge — chlorinated then de-chlorinated.

This summer amid the severe drought has been significantly less active than last year when it was extremely rainy. Since the end of June, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has reported only the discharge from Monday night and during one day in August, which was a much smaller discharge.

Last summer in comparison, the Authority reported dozens of discharges as several tropical storms dropped buckets of rain across the region. Millions of gallons of discharge were recorded. Rain during Ida overwhelmed outdated sewer systems around Boston, forcing several pipelines to discharge untreated wastewater into the Charles River.

Massachusetts reports 20% jump in COVID cases after Boston-area virus wastewater data went up

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State health officials on Thursday reported 7,936 confirmed COVID cases from the last week, a 20% jump following the recent rise in the Boston-area COVID wastewater data.

The COVID wastewater tracker throughout the pandemic has been the first indication of cases at the community level, and the data has helped predict surges.

The state’s daily average of 1,134 COVID cases from the last week is up from the daily rate of 946 infections during the previous week. Infection counts had been trending down in previous weeks.

The positive test average had been climbing as the omicron BA.5 subvariant took over, but the positive test rate went down in recent weeks. The seven-day positive test rate is now 7.32%, up from 7.13% last week.

The very infectious BA.5 variant is now responsible for 88.6% of new cases in New England, according to this week’s update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The omicron BA.4.6 variant appears to be on the rise, accounting for 8.6% of new cases.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is now reporting its COVID data on a weekly basis, reflecting the evolving COVID response in the state. Previously, the data had been reported five days a week.

The state reported 37 new COVID deaths over the past week, bringing the state’s total to 21,588 recorded deaths since the start of the pandemic. The daily average of deaths is now five, which is much lower than the daily death rate during the initial omicron surge.

The state reported that 591 total patients are hospitalized with COVID, which is up 18 patients from this time last week.

More than 5.4 million people in the state have been fully vaccinated, and more than 3.2 million people have gotten at least one booster dose. Also, the state reported that 739,426 additional booster doses have been administered.