COVID-19 cases for residents in the City of Cambridge community outside of long term care facilities, as reported by the Cambridge Public Health Department. This dataset summarizes cases by age cohort and gender.
Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) data regarding case counts come directly from MDPH and their surveillance system (MAVEN). We use the language and terminology per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, and recent guidance categorizes all confirmed or presumptive positive cases as positive. CPHD understands that case counts may be higher, due to a number of factors:

(1) Testing capabilities have been increased by other area lab organizations and hospitals and not all of the test results are reported to MDPH or CPHD.

(2) People may be asymptomatic (or have very mild symptoms) and do not realize that they may have COVID-19 and need to be tested.

(3) Providers may be offering diagnoses based on symptoms and history (rather than testing) and telling patients that they are likely positive and should stay home and self-quarantine for 14 days. (e.g, Someone might call their provider with a few symptoms and indicate that they were with someone from Biogen. In this case, the doctor may assume positive for COVID-19 and ask the patient to self-isolate at home for two weeks).

This is the process that the CPHD, and all local health departments, is following.

Total positive cases include total deaths. Any count <5 will be suppressed for privacy reasons

This open dataset shows data on Cambridge residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccine at any location (e.g., mass vaccination site, pharmacy, doctor's office). These data come from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's weekly report on vaccine doses administered by municipality. The report is released on Thursdays.


The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses administered at least 28 days apart in order to be fully vaccinated. The J&J (Janssen) vaccine requires a single dose in order to be fully vaccinated.


The category "Residents Who Received at Least One Dose" reflects the total number of individuals in the fully and partially vaccinated categories. That is, this category comprises individuals who have received one or both doses of the Moderna/Pfizer vaccine or have received the single dose J&J (Janssen) vaccine.


The category "Fully Vaccinated Residents" comprises individuals who have received both doses of the Moderna/ Pfizer vaccine or the single-dose J&J vaccine.


The category "Partially Vaccinated Residents" comprises individuals who have received only the first dose of the Moderna/Pfizer vaccine.


Source: Weekly COVID-19 Municipality Vaccination Report. Massachusetts releases updated data each Thursday at 5 p.m.

The table reflects COVID-19 cases among city residents who are students, staff, or faculty at the five higher education institutions in Cambridge: Harvard University, Hult International Business School, Lesley University, Longy School of Music, and MIT.

Of note:

The case total for each institution reflects combined cases for students, staff, and faculty who reside in Cambridge. These cases are included in the City's case total.
The case totals are cumulative from mid-August to present.

To protect individual privacy, institutions with at least one case but fewer than five, are reported as 1-4. Institutions with zero cases are reported as 0.

*Harvard University and *MIT provide information about COVID-19 screenings for their campus communities, including number of tests completed, number of positive cases, and positive test rate.

The case totals reported by Harvard and MIT differ from those reported in the table because the university totals include students and employees who do not live in Cambridge.

Listing of recipients of several City of Cambridge COVID-19 grant and loan award programs. Data covers MDRF, CDBG-CARES Act, and ARPA funding.

This table shows selected demographic information for Cambridge residents living in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities who are classified as confirmed, probable, or suspect cases (see “Case Count by Classification” section for definitions). Demographic information includes gender, age range, and race/ethnicity.

About the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Program: On April 9, the Broad Institute, in partnership with the City of Cambridge and Pro EMS, launched a surveillance testing pilot program in Cambridge skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. The goal of the program is to gain an accurate picture of the true infection rate in these facilities by testing all residents and workers regardless of whether they have symptoms or feel ill. Positive cases among facility residents reflect three rounds of testing in April and May of all residents at the seven skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Cambridge, as well as other testing ordered by medical providers.

Of note:

The case count includes those who have recovered, are currently sick with COVID-19, and who have died from complications of the disease. Any category with a case count less than five is omitted to protect individual privacy.
The Cambridge case count reflects current data received from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

It is important to note that race and ethnicity data are collected and reported by multiple entities and may or may not reflect self-reporting by the individual case. The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) is actively reaching out to cases to collect this information. Due to these efforts, race and ethnicity information have been confirmed for over 80% of Cambridge cases, as of June 2020.
Race/Ethnicity Category Definitions:
“White” indicates “White, not of Hispanic origin.”
“Black” indicates “Black, not of Hispanic origin.”
“Hispanic” refers to a person having Hispanic origin. A person having Hispanic origin may be of any race.
“Asian” indicates “Asian, not of Hispanic origin.”
"Unknown" indicates that the originating reporter or reporting system did not capture race and ethnicity information or the individual refused to provide the information.
"Other" indicates multiple races, another race that is not listed above, and cases who have reported nationality in lieu of a race category recognized by the US Census. Population data are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014–2018 American Community Survey estimates and may differ from actual population counts. "Other" also includes a small number of people who identify as Native American or Native Hawaiian/Pacific islander. Because the count for Native Americans or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders is currently < 5 people, these categories have been combined with “Other” to protect individual privacy.

The table is updated daily at 4 p.m.

**Living in a facility is defined as a Cambridge resident who lives in a skilled nursing or assisted living facility.

^Positive cases among facility residents reflect three rounds of testing in April and May of all residents at the seven skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Cambridge, as well as other testing ordered by medical providers.

This table shows the total number of positive and negative COVID-19 test results for Cambridge residents by week. A small number of tests are inconclusive, and they are not represented.

The table reflects three types of COVID-19 tests:

Viral (PCR) test, also known as a molecular test. This test is used to diagnose an active coronavirus infection.

Antigen test, also known as a rapid test. This test is used to diagnose an active coronavirus infection, with a faster turnaround time than PCR tests but more likely to return a false negative.

Antibody test, also known as a serology test. This test can show if you have been infected by coronavirus in the past. Some people develop antibodies while they are still infectious. If you have symptoms, please seek viral (PCR) testing to confirm active infection.
Of note:

Dates on the chart reflect results from tests performed during the current week. For instance, the June 7 count reflects results for tests performed from June 7-13. Counts for the most recent week are likely to be incomplete because data is received mid-week.
The chart is updated every Thursday at 4 p.m.

This table displays the number of COVID-19 deaths among Cambridge residents by race and ethnicity. The count reflects total deaths among Cambridge COVID-19 cases.

The rate column shows the rate of COVID-19 deaths among Cambridge residents by race and ethnicity. The rates in this chart were calculated by dividing the total number of deaths among Cambridge COVID-19 cases for each racial or ethnic category by the total number of Cambridge residents in that racial or ethnic category, and multiplying by 10,000. The rates are considered “crude rates” because they are not age-adjusted. Population data are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014–2018 American Community Survey estimates and may differ from actual population counts.

Of note:

This chart reflects the time period of March 25 (first known Cambridge death) through present.

It is important to note that race and ethnicity data are collected and reported by multiple entities and may or may not reflect self-reporting by the individual case. The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) is actively reaching out to cases to collect this information. Due to these efforts, race and ethnicity information have been confirmed for over 80% of Cambridge cases, as of June 2020.

Race/Ethnicity Category Definitions:
“White” indicates “White, not of Hispanic origin.”
“Black” indicates “Black, not of Hispanic origin.”
“Hispanic” refers to a person having Hispanic origin. A person having Hispanic origin may be of any race.
“Asian” indicates “Asian, not of Hispanic origin.”
To protect individual privacy, a category is suppressed when it has one to four people. Categories with zero cases are reported as zero.
"Other" indicates multiple races, another race that is not listed above, and cases who have reported nationality in lieu of a race category recognized by the US Census. Population data are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014–2018 American Community Survey estimates and may differ from actual population counts. "Other" also includes a small number of people who identify as Native American or Native Hawaiian/Pacific islander. Because the count for Native Americans or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders is currently < 5 people, these categories have been combined with “Other” to protect individual privacy.

This table reports case classification and status data.

The "test mode" rows show confirmed and probable case counts for all Cambridge residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been clinically diagnosed with the disease to date. The numbers represented in these rows reflect individual people (cases), not tests performed. If someone is clinically diagnosed and later gets an antibody test, for example, they will be removed from the “clinical diagnosis” category and added to the “antibody positive” category. Case classification is based on guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and is as follows:

Confirmed Case: A person with a positive viral (PCR) test for COVID-19. This test is also known as a molecular test.

Probable Case: A person with a positive antigen test. This test is also known as a rapid test.
A person who is a known contact of a confirmed case and has received a clinical diagnosis based on their symptoms. People in this category have not received a viral or antibody test. Whenever possible, lab results from a viral (PCR) test are used to confirm a clinical diagnosis, and if that is not feasible, antibody testing can be used.

Suspect Case: A person with a positive antibody test. This test is also known as a serology test.

The "case status" rows show current outcomes for all Cambridge residents who are classified as confirmed, probable, or suspect COVID-19 cases. Outcomes include:

Recovered Case: The Cambridge Public Health Department determines if a Cambridge COVID-19 case has recovered based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s criteria for ending home isolation: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/disposition-in-home-patients.html. Staff from the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) or the state’s Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) follow up with all reported COVID-19 cases multiple times throughout their illness. It is through these conversations that CPHD or CTC staff determine when a Cambridge resident infected with COVID-19 has met the CDC criteria for ending isolation, which connotes recovery. While many people with mild COVID-19 illness will meet the CDC criteria for ending isolation (i.e., recovery) in under two weeks, people who survive severe illness might not meet the criteria for six weeks or more.

Active Case: This category reflects Cambridge COVID-19 cases who are currently infected. Note: There may be a delay in the time between a person being released from isolation (recovered) and when their recovery is reported.

Death: This category reflects total deaths among Cambridge COVID 19 cases.

Unknown Outcome: This category reflects Cambridge COVID-19 cases who public health staff have been unable to reach by phone or letter, or who have stopped responding to follow up from public health staff.