COVID-19: November 5, 2020 Update from Representative Dykema
November 5th COVID-19 Update
The town-by-town numbers in this week’s public health report, which I normally share with you on Thursdays, have been delayed until tomorrow, November 6th. In the interim, I wanted to provide a brief update on the COVID-19 testing being conducted by our state’s colleges and universities.
This week, 362 new COVID-19 cases have been reported associated with higher education testing, bringing the total to 1,945. Colleges and universities conducted over 200,000 tests in the last week, and the overall positive case rate since the Department of Public Health began collecting this data is only 0.1 percent (although it should be noted that colleges and universities, unlike the general population, test a large number of asymptomatic and low-risk individuals, which partially explains the extremely low positive test rate).
The state Department of Public Health, together with the Department of Higher Education, has statewide guidance that applies to all institutions of higher education, and you can learn more at the DHE COVID-19 website. I want to commend the many students, staff, families, and community members who have worked hard to contain the spread of the virus in these large communal settings and to encourage you all to keep up the good work.
News Updates
Coronavirus Testing and Response
- Today, the state saw 1,761 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 160,098 total cases and 23 reported deaths as of today at 4pm.
- The average new cases over the last 7 days is 1,260, and the average number of deaths is 19.
- The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 1.9%.
- 86,359 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: 498 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, a decrease of 4 from yesterday.
- Hospital Capacity: As of 11/5, 30% of the Commonwealth’s 11,100 non-ICU hospital beds are available for new patients if needed (47% of statewide ICU beds are available). In the MetroWest region, 32% of the region’s non-ICU 1,900 beds are available for new patients (33% of regional ICU beds are available).
- Long-term care: As of 11/5, there are 391 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 25,838 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 6,464 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
Department of Transitional Assistance
Statewide Information
Information on the state of emergency and related orders can be found here.
Reopening guidance can be found at mass.gov/reopening.
Information on COVID-19 testing can be found at mass.gov/gettested.
