Editor’s note: In addition to a correction about the number of coronavirus cases in Bedford, a reassuring message about overdue fines from the Bedford Free Public Library.
Click this link to read the Town’s full update for Saturday, April 4, 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 4, 2020, there have been a total of twenty (20) positive cases of COVID-19 reported to the Town of Bedford Board of Health (BOH) by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH). This number differs from twenty-two (22) positive cases reported yesterday, April 3, 2020, as the BOH has since confirmed that 2 of the people reported to us yesterday actually reside in out-of-town nursing homes. Case tracing protocols dictate that follow-up on those out-of-town cases will be conducted by the BOH in the towns in which the nursing homes are located and impacted residents currently live.
Three (3) of the positive cases from our total have already recovered and have come off of isolation and quarantine, and there are currently zero (0) known 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
The uptick in identified positive cases in Bedford this week is reflective of the statewide and nationwide trend. Governor Baker’s COVID-19 Response Command Center has been working with its Advisory Board of medical experts and epidemiologists from Harvard University, University of Guelph and Northeastern to refine models predictive of the expected surge of COVID-19 cases. Their efforts include modeling the surge’s timing, number of cases, necessary bed capacity, and work to find facilities that will meet overfill capacity. The model’s projections are based on the experience of Wuhan, China, but Massachusetts’ trajectory could differ due to lower population density, lower smoking rates, and earlier implemented social distancing measures. The model’s latest projections estimate that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts could range from 47,000 to 172,000 (or 0.7% to 2.5% of the total population of Massachusetts). The models show hospitalizations would potentially peak between April 10-20. The current fatality rate in Massachusetts is 1.5% of those infected, which is reported to be lower than other areas.
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.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Updates from the Bedford Free Public Library – Deadlines extended for overdue books, updates on online programming, new online programming for kids, and April 8 deadline for the 2020 Peeps diorama contest!
Stay healthy!…(and wash your hands as often as possible.)
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