Death toll from COVID-19 in Grafton rises to 17

Seventeen Grafton residents have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic broke out in March, according to a health report compiled by the Central Mass Regional Public Health Alliance.

The victims ranged in age from 66 to 103. Ten occurred in the first three months of the pandemic; six were in the past two months when the region saw a holiday-fueled spike in cases.

Covid, responsible for about 77 percent of confirmed communicable diseases in Grafton in 2020, was not the only health issue in town. Twenty confirmed cases of tuberculosis were reported, along with 30 cases of influenza.

Grafton, as of Friday, has had 917 cases of COVID-19. While deaths primarily were among senior citizens, the largest number of confirmed cases were among people aged 19 and under, followed by residents aged 50-59 and 20-29.