Wednesday May 6, 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory Information
A total of 198 residents of the Town of Barnstable have tested positive for COVID-19 to date. The chart below provides the number of positive cases reported per day in the Town of Barnstable during the time period from March 19, 2020 (the date of our first positive case) to May 5, 2020. The green line depicted on this graph is an attempt to show the reader where we are in regards to the “curve” by providing the average number of cases reported per day.
969 residents of Barnstable County have tested positive for COVID-19 as of 4:00 p.m. yesterday. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported a total of 70,271 Massachusetts residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Throughout the United States, 1,204,475 persons contracted COVID-19.
71,078 persons died from the virus according to data received from the John Hopkins University website this morning.
A total of 333,349 persons were tested in Massachusetts for COVID-19; 21.1% of them were found to be positive. Cape Cod Healthcare has issued guidance regarding testing at this link: https://www.capecodhealth.org/medical-services/infectious-disease/coronavirus/covid-19-testing- process/
Beginning today, Governor Baker’s Order Requiring Face Coverings in Public Places Where Social Distancing is Not Possible goes into effect. A link to this order is here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/may-1-2020-masks-and-face-coverings/download
All residents are urged to maintain a minimum of six feet from others while out in public wherever possible to limit exposure to others. We also continue to urge everyone to take basic precautions which include: Frequent hand-washing, for 20 seconds with soap.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Cough hygiene – into a tissue when possible (throw it away immediately) or into your arm.
Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands.
Avoid contact with those who are ill.
Stay home yourself from work when ill.
Our Public Health Division nurses continue to contact those who were infected to ensure they are appropriately isolated and with those who have come into contact with them to take the required quarantine precautions.
Public Health Division staff continue to work full-time responding to complaints as well as routinely contacting store managers of essential stores, including pharmacies, grocery stores, auto parts stores, appliance stores, and coffee shops to provide the most- up-to-date guidance and information promoting social- distancing measures (six feet separations) and ensuring 40% occupancy capacity limits are enforced where required. Town officials have been working throughout the week-days, week-ends, and evenings to keep residents safe. In addition, we continue to meet and coordinate regularly with local and regional partners to ensure that the Town is taking any and all appropriate measures to respond to the virus.
The Town of Barnstable Public Health Division will continue to monitor the progress of the COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, Barnstable County, and within our Town. We will continue to review and post the most up-to-date information from dependable sources to keep you informed. Our Town has an emergencyresponseplanforpublichealthemergenciesshouldweneedtoimplementitinthefuture. We recommend visiting the following websites with reliable information: Center for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. For the latest on case counts, visit the Centers for Diseases Control website: CDC website. Reported cases globally in real-time are also listed on the John Hopkins University site.
A Massachusetts hotline 2-1-1 is operating to provide updated information and answer questions regarding the Coronavirus. If you should have any questions, you may call the Massachusetts hotline 2- 1-1 or call us at the Town of Barnstable Public Health Division at 508 862 4644.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas A. McKean, R.S., C.H.O. Director of Public Health