1. COVID hits the city hard It would be wrong not to include the coronavirus pandemic on any list of top stories this year, but that's especially true in Brockton. The city was a top coronavirus hot spot in the state early in the pandemic, long having the second-highest infection rate. The city was disproportionately affected by the highly contagious disease, striking nursing homes, the homeless shelter, businesses and young and old residents. COVID-19 has also especially impacted communities of color and Brockton has the fifth-highest concentration of people of color among cities and towns throughout Massachusetts. The city ranks fourth in household size and also has more front-line workers than any other community in the state. More than 8,000 residents have contracted the disease and at least 340 have died from it.