COVID-19 case rates remained fairly steady locally during the past week, with Gloucester reporting 81 new cases since last Wednesday, down slightly from the 97 cases that were added last week. Mathews registered 17 new cases, up from last week’s 13 new cases, and Middlesex had eight new cases, an increase from last week’s count of five.

Total reported cases in the three counties now stand at 2,539 for Gloucester, 639 for Mathews, and 606 for Middlesex.There was one death from the virus in Gloucester during the past week, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to 53 since the pandemic began. There were no additional deaths in Mathews or Middlesex, leaving those counts at 14 and 22, respectively.

There have been no new hospitalizations in the three counties during the past week, with Gloucester still at 70, Mathews at 24, and Middlesex at 27.

Across the Three Rivers Health District, the number of cases rose to 10,633, with 227 new cases reported during the past week,...