Editor’s Note: Today’s update marks one month (and one day) from the start of the Town’s Covid-19 Task Force updates. In addition to Bedford’s and Hanscom’s active cases, there is information about the patients newly housed in the VA’s new Covid-19 ward. Among today’s other news — Bedford’s Memorial Day ceremonies are canceled; there are new limits on the number of shoppers allowed in grocery stores at the same time; results of the School Department’s survey about April vacation that will be considered at tomorrow evening’s School Committee meeting (7:30 pm, remotely).
Click this link to read the Town’s full update for Wednesday, 8 April, 2020
The daily update is also available in the following places if you’d like to share with your friends:
- Website ~ www.BedfordMA.gov
- Facebook ~ @bedfordma
- Twitter ~ @BedfordMAGov
ACTIVE CASES
As of today, April 8, 2020, there have been a total of twenty-five (25) positive cases of COVID-19 reported to the Town of Bedford Board of Health by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH). This total case number includes residents of the Town of Bedford and Hanscom Air Force Base and some residents of the Bedford Veteran’s Administration (VA) Campus as reported to us by the MA DPH.
Seven (7) of these cases have already recovered and have come off of isolation and there are zero known (0) Person(s) Under Investigation. It is likely that there are other individuals impacted by COVID-19 in the community that have not sought medical attention, and/or have not been tested and are isolating at home regardless. Those individuals do not appear on the surveillance reports the Town receives from the MA DPH.
The Board of Health continues to do the appropriate follow-up and outreach to those residents and close contacts known to us. Many of the identified close contacts of the initial cases never exhibited symptoms, have completed their required quarantine period and have been released from quarantine by the Board of Health.
The Bedford VA Campus reported today that there are currently fifteen (15) COVID-19 positive inpatients at their facility. Because the VA is a federal facility and conducting its own testing of and tracking of inpatients, not all of the positive cases identified at the Bedford VA appear on the surveillance report received by the Bedford Board of Health from the MA DPH. The Bedford VA reports that the impacted Veterans are being cared for in respiratory isolation in the new community living enter ward on the Bedford Campus established specifically for treatment of patients with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. The VA reports that the new ward has staff dedicated exclusively to the patients housed there, following the operational guidelines of both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Veterans Health Administration.
As communication is received from the Bedford VA, the Town of Bedford Update on COVID-19, issued daily, will include a separate tally of COVID-19 positive cases identified at the Bedford VA Campus.
IMPORTANT UPDATES
Bedford Memorial Day Events are Cancelled: We are disappointed to announce that Bedford’s Memorial Day activities scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2020 have been canceled. All Town ceremonies, events, and the annual parade will be canceled. The overriding concern for canceling these events is the safety and well-being of all Memorial Day participants and attendees. This decision was not made lightly. It follows discussions undertaken with Town government and public health officials, as well as directives from Massachusetts and Hanscom AFB. It is regrettable that the COVID-19 pandemic is not allowing us to gather as a community on Memorial Day to honor our veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. This Memorial Day is unique. Please keep our veterans and active military in your thoughts and prayers, along with everyone who is keeping us safe in these troubling times. Together we will get through this as the strong and caring community Bedford is and always has been. (Submitted by Paul Purchia, Chair, Bedford Patriotic Holiday Committee).
Grocery Store Occupancy Limits: On April 7, 2020, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued guidance for grocery stores to help reduce exposure of shoppers and employees to COVID-19. Each store selling groceries shall limit occupancy to 40 percent of its maximum permitted occupancy level. Read the attached for more details!
Complying with the Stay at Home Order: The Board of Health encourages Bedford residents to take actions to control the rate of spread of COVID-19 and lessen the height of the case curve and subsequent impact on our healthcare system. Please read the entire update for more information on staying safe, and staying home.
Outlets for Stress and Resources for Coping During COVID-19: It is natural to experience anxiety during stressful events like the current worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Whether it’s the fear of contracting COVID-19, worries about loved ones, financial difficulties, school schedules, or a myriad of related challenges and concerns, anger, anxiety, depression and fear are all typical responses to stressful and uncertain situations. Please read the entire update for more details.
Local Business/Restaurant Update: Announced earlier this month, the Bedford Take Out website at www.bedfordtakeout.com is continually updated with a list of current restaurants that are open, and offering takeout and delivery to support our local restaurants. The website is popular with residents who would like to check out current options for take-out in a single easy-to-use website. The website has become a model for other communities seeking to support their local restaurants. The Town recognizes our business community is an integral part of our community, and the Town of Bedford aims to support businesses, small and large, during this difficult time. We provide daily updates to a dedicated business support website with COVID-19 Financial and Other Resources: https://www.bedfordma.gov/economic-development/pages/covid-19-resources-for-business.
BPS Update-April Vacation Survey: Of the 1,724 respondents, 77.4% were parents, 18% were teachers, and students and parents/teachers split the remaining 4.6% (the link was not sent to students separately, but a number of students weighed in using their parents’ links). Of the 1,724 respondents, 91.3% favored cancellation of April Vacation. Of the faculty respondents, 154 of 172 voted to cancel April Vacation. The main impetus for all “cancelation” votes was to avoid interrupting remote/online learning that is gaining momentum and making up for lost time. The school committee will take up this question tomorrow evening and will consider a new calendar which would have school ending four days earlier than it would have if we were to hold April Vacation. A “thank you” to all who responded.
ONE MONTH!
Yesterday marked one whole month of daily COVID-19 updates. (Where has the time gone?!) I will tell you that no one on the COVID-19 Task Force (especially me!) could’ve imagined what life would’ve looked like today, April 8, on March 7, but I am proud of how Bedford is weathering this storm. I am thankful our Town has such wonderful and hard-working employees who have remained a steady hand during these tumultuous times, and such committed residents who have cared for each other, and supported our local businesses. The community has gathered in ways that have been absolutely heartwarming to watch: neighborhood drives for our first responders, care packages for medical staff, check-ins on our elderly neighbors and friends, and uplifting ways for our children to adjust to the new-norm of homeschooling. I can’t even speak of how much I’m loving the young-man drumming around Town on the weekends. Just the absolute best.
Our proactive work on public health, economic development resources/recovery, food insecurity, increased social services, telehealth resources, and public safety precautions, will help Bedford recover faster, and stronger.
It’s been one heck of a month, but boy, am I glad we’re in this together.
Stay healthy!…(and wash your hands as often as possible.)
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