Editor’s Note: In today’s message, the current case count and a list of entities permitted to open on May 25, with restrictions as noted
Click this link to read the Town’s full update for Wednesday, May 20, 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
CURRENT CASES
As of today, May 19, 2020, there have been a total of one eighty-five (185) positive cases of COVID-19 reported to the Town of Bedford Board of Health by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH) and thirty-seven (37) deaths of Bedford residents attributed to COVID-19. The total case number includes residents of the Town of Bedford, including but not limited to those in single-family homes, apartments, the VA campus, Hanscom Air Force Base, special needs group homes and any and all other larger assisted living/care facilities in Bedford as reported to us by the MA DPH.
As you may be aware, long term care facilities serving the elderly and congregate-care facilities, house susceptible populations with underlying conditions who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Increased testing occurs at these facilities and results in more positive cases being identified. As such, cities and towns with these facilities, like Bedford, experience elevated positive case counts and, unfortunately, deaths due to the vulnerability to COVID-19 of the populations within those facilities.
Fifty (50) of the total Bedford cases have already recovered and have come off of isolation and there may other Bedford residents who would be considered persons under investigation in that they are symptomatic, have undergone testing but have not yet received results. There are other individuals impacted by COVID-19 in the community who 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 and the VA is conducting follow-up and contact tracing of the Veterans under their care. Many of the identified close contacts of some of the Bedford cases never exhibited symptoms, have completed their required quarantine period, and have been released from quarantine by the Board of Health.
Please note, in part to alleviate the community concern, the VA does do a daily report of their numbers, which includes inpatients, outpatients, and staff, many of whom do not call Bedford home. The information can be found here: https://www.accesstocare.va.gov/Healthcare/COVID19NationalSummary
IMPORTANT UPDATES-PHASED REOPENING
On Monday, the Baker-Polito Administration released a data-driven approach to reopening the economy used a framework that considered the public health risk and the economic benefit of reopening each of the closed sectors of our economy. The framework outlined 4 Phases for reopening and included guidelines for Phase 1 Reopening. Since receipt of these guidelines, Town Staff have been reaching out to permitees and permit applicants in those impacted industries to ensure compliance and answer any questions. Businesses/entities allowed to resume operation on May 18th include Construction, Manufacturing, and Houses of Worship.
On May 25th the following entities will be permitted to resume operation: laboratories and life science facilities, offices (25% capacity only), retail (curbside only), car washes (exterior and self-service only, hair salons and barbershops by appointment only, pet grooming by appointment (with curbside drop-off and pick-up) and athletic courts (non-contact sports with no shared equipment). All operating businesses must comply with general mandatory workplace safety standards, as well as sector-specific workplace standards and protocols and/or applicable guidelines.
Stay healthy!…(and wash your hands as often as possible.)
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