Dear Friend --

Our COVID-19 positivity rate is the percentage of people who test for the virus and come back positive. It’s an important way to track community spread and it’s telling us our actions are working—and we have to stay vigilant and keep it up.

Back in mid-July, we hit a high of almost 15%. By August we were down near 10%. Today, I am glad to report we have a rate of 8.6%, which is still higher than where we need to be, but a sign of good of steady progress.

Hospitalization rates are also starting to come down. I want to thank everyone for being responsible and making the sacrifices necessary to keep our city healthy and protect the most vulnerable. The science shows when we work together, we can save lives.

So let’s keep this progress going. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay physically distanced. We still have a long way to go, but the progress is encouraging.

Thank you,