Local COVID-19 updates

[edschweppe]

As of 4PM this afternoon, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 157 more deaths from COVID-19 (for a total of 3,562 to date), 1,940 new cases (for a total of 62,205) and 10,029 more tests performed (for a total of 275,647).

I received an email from the church this afternoon, saying we've had our first member die of COVID-19. Considering how many of our members are elderly, I fear that won't be the first.

In Governor Baker's daily press briefing, he said the state's contact-tracing program has gotten in touch with over five thousand residents.

Baker said the tracing program is providing people with information about how to get through isolation and self-quarantine and also helping state officials determine where the virus is, as well as where and how it may spread.

The contact tracers, who are tracking where the virus may have spread, have found that the infected residents they speak with are sending them to fewer people than expected, on average two rather than around 10 as originally anticipated, Baker said. He suggested it was an indication that people are practicing social distancing.

The contact tracers are also finding the telephone conversations are taking longer than expected because people have "lot on their minds" and "concerns and questions," Baker said.

The state is working with Boston-based nonprofit, Partners in Health, on the first-in-the nation program. "They have proven, time and time again, that their model can work," he said, noting Partners in Health’s work fighting outbreaks overseas of diseases such as Ebola and Zika.

In not-so-pleasant news, the number of unemployment-insurance applications since the pandemic started is now around 24% of the state's total labor force. Ouch.

As of 6:30PM today, the town of Acton is reporting 92 confirmed cases in town (up from 75 yesterday), with 52 of those being "cases in isolation that are actively being monitored". The big jump is primarily due to an outbreak at a local nursing home:

Acton recorded a significant jump in the most recent reporting of COVID-19 cases due to extensive testing at the Life Care Center of Acton. Acton Nursing Director Heather York reports that 23 of the skilled nursing and rehabilitation center’s approximately 120 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. All residents were recently tested. Director York has been in regular communication with management at Life Care Center of Acton. The Town of Acton is confident that the facility is doing everything it can to manage this dangerous and often unpredictable pandemic. The Town has also been informed that all employees of the Life Care Center of Acton will be tested starting tomorrow.

This facility is owned by the same company that runs the nursing home in Littleton that's had such a major outbreak.