November 4th COVID-19 Update

As you know, one of the areas most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has been education. Our school districts, teachers, staff, and families have all worked incredibly hard to preserve student access to safe, high-quality learning during an extremely uncertain time.

While many decisions about learning models and COVID-19 prevention are made on the district level, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has released a large volume of guidance to assist school districts with preparation and decision-making relative to pandemic response. To help districts, educators, and families understand this guidance and the statewide expectations, the Department has been regularly releasing frequently asked questions and answers on a number of relevant subjects. You can review the full info (last updated November 2) at the link above.

News Updates

Coronavirus Testing and Response

• Today, the state saw 1,629 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 158,937 total cases and 23 reported deaths as of today at 4pm.
• The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,206, and the average number of deaths is 19.
• The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 1.9%.
• 103,066 new molecular tests for COVID-19 were reported in the Commonwealth today.
• The Department of Public Health regularly releases a daily reporting dashboard containing detailed information on hospitalizations, demographic data, and county-by-county breakdowns of cases. To view the DPH dashboard, visit here.

Heath Care

• Hospitalization: 502 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, an increase of 17 from yesterday.
• Hospital Capacity: As of 11/4, 29% of the Commonwealth’s 10,900 non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (50% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 33% of the region’s non-ICU 1,800 beds are available for new patients (50% of regional ICU beds are available).
• Long-term care: As of 11/4, there are 391 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 25,773 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 6,436 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in long-term care facilities.
• For information on COVID-19 testing and guidance on whether you should get tested, how to get tested, and where to get tested, visit the COVID-19 testing portal at mass.gov/gettested.

Local and State Resources

Town Resources

All of the towns in the 8th Middlesex District have centralized COVID-19 resource pages with resources, updates, and alerts regarding town services.

Holliston | Hopkinton | Southborough | Westborough

Job/Income Loss Resources

COVID-19 is also causing broad disruption to the economy which is affecting incomes of many residents and families. There are a number of state resources and supports available to support workers who may find themselves unemployed or otherwise income-constrained during this uncertain time. 

Guide for job/income loss resources: https://carolyndykema.com/covid19-state-resources

Department of Unemployment Assistance

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
• CARES Act Unemployment Changes
• Unemployment Town Halls

Department of Transitional Assistance

• Pandemic-EBT benefits for schoolchildren

Statewide Information

Information on the state of emergency and related orders can be found here.

• Face covering advisory
• Large gatherings/social distancing advisory

Reopening guidance can be found at mass.gov/reopening. 

• Sector-specific guidance
• Health care-specific guidance
• “When can my business reopen” chart

Information on COVID-19 testing can be found at mass.gov/gettested.