State health officials have updated how COVID-19 deaths are counted, limiting COVID-associated deaths to those with COVID listed on the death certificate.

The previous COVID death definition in Massachusetts included anyone who had COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate, and any individual who had a COVID diagnosis within 30 days — even if they did not have COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate.

The new definition relies almost exclusively on COVID being listed on a death certificate. The state Department of Public Health is aligning its reporting with the most recent national standard definition.

“The updated definition keeps pace with the evolving nature of the impact of COVID-19,” DPH said in a statement. “While COVID can still cause severe disease and death, overall, people are now less likely to die from COVID-related causes than they were earlier in the pandemic.”

Using the new definition for COVID deaths, the state on Thursday reported 34 new COVID deaths over the past week, bringing the state’s total to 24,541 recorded deaths since the start of the pandemic.

COVID cases, hospitalizations and wastewater continue to drop in Boston, as state health officials also reported a decline in new virus infections and hospitalizations.

In Boston, the count of new COVID cases has fallen 14% over the past week, and virus hospitalizations have gone down 27%.

The seven-day average of new virus cases is now 3.2 cases per 100,000, and Boston hospitals reported a weekly count of 83 new hospital admissions.

Data from the Boston Public Health Commission’s wastewater surveillance program shows that the number of COVID particles in the wastewater dropped 37% over the past week. The wastewater data is the earliest indicator of virus cases in the community.

On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported 1,845 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 264 COVID cases from the last week was a 9% decrease from the daily rate of 289 virus infections during the previous week.

The Bay State’s positive test average ticked up last week. The seven-day positive test rate is now 3.70%, a bit up from 3.63% last week.

The state Department of Public Health on Thursday also reported that 310 total patients are hospitalized with COVID, which is a dip of five patients from this time last week.

More than 2 million people in the state have received a booster dose since the bivalent vaccine was offered last September.