Editor’s Note: In addition to today’s Case Count, Town Manager and the Covid-19 Task Force note being able to supply diapers and personal care products through the Bedford Food Bank.
Click this link to read the Town’s full update for Sunday, August 17, 2020
The semi-weekly 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, August 17, 2020, there have been a total of two hundred seventy-eight (278) positive cases of COVID-19 reported to the Bedford Board of Health (BOH) by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH), of those, one hundred sixty-three (163) are Bedford residents not living in a healthcare/long term care setting. The deaths of forty-five (45) Bedford residents have been 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 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.
Two hundred twenty-nine (229) of the total Bedford cases have already recovered and have come off 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 BOH 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 BOH.
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
Diapers and Personal Items for Residents and Families in Need
Bedford Youth and Family Services has launched a Diaper and Personal Items Bank to help Bedford families who are in need. Families will be able to receive a 3 week supply of diapers (sizes 1-6), pull-ups (sizes 2-6), baby wipes, and/or feminine hygiene products.
These essential supplies are not covered by the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and can be a significant financial burden, especially given the other economic stressors present during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residents of Bedford who need to access the Diaper and Personal Items Bank can acquire these items at the weekly drive-through Food Bank located at the Town Center Building on Thursdays from 4 – 5:30 pm. Additionally, residents can contact Community Social Worker Christopher Bang at 781-918-4328 or [email protected].
Please stay healthy….and wash your hands as often as you can!
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