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Town of Saugus Update Regarding COVID -19 - August 13, 2020

Posted on: August 13, 2020 - 11:15am

Town of Saugus Update Regarding COVID-19

(Saugus, MA) August 13, 2020 - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has notified the Town of Saugus of 616 confirmed cases of COVID-19.  According to the Saugus Health Department this includes 39 deaths in Saugus.  Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this health pandemic.     

Massachusetts health officials have announced as of August 12, 2020, 18 more people have died in the Commonwealth after contracting COVID-19, bringing the state total to 8,547. In addition, there were 229 newly reported cases. So far, 113,198 cases in total have been confirmed while 1,353,299 people have been tested for the virus.

Saugus has been upgraded to a high-risk community and shaded red on the state’s new coronavirus map based on the average daily incidence rate over the past two weeks. 

Governor Charlie Baker revealed a new metric for understanding how much the virus has spread locally.  It shows the number of cases detected on average each day over the last two weeks in each of Massachusetts' communities. More than 8 cases per 100,000 translates to a high risk, between 4 and 8 cases per 100,000 is moderate risk, and any less than that is low risk.

Cities and towns shaded red have the greatest risk levels. There are 11 in this map, up from four in the first map, which included data from July 22 to Aug. 5.

The high-risk communities in Wednesday's report are Lynn, Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Saugus, Holyoke, Lawrence, Fall River, Salem, Granby and Hull. All but the last two appear on the list of communities ranked by percent positivity. Both those communities' percentages are high enough to be ranked, but their total case counts in the last two weeks are below 15.

The Board of Health and the Saugus Health Department will be partnering with the state and will work on a planned response to the COVID-19.  They will be analyzing the data from the past couple of weeks and developing specific strategies to combat the spread through additional enforcement and intervention measures.  We need to do whatever is necessary to keep ourselves, family, neighbors, and communities safe.  Continue to wear your masks, wash hands, avoid gatherings, and continue to follow the CDC and MDPH guidelines. 

The Saugus Health Department strongly believes that additional unrecognized cases DO exist in Saugus.  Due to the fact that they are undetected, some of these infected individuals may not be properly isolated or quarantined, which is why Governor Baker directive is to wear a cloth face cover over their face when around others, practice social distancing, avoid gatherings, and to follow the CDC and MDPH guidance. 

Again, this is a reminder that as the CDC and MDPH has provided guidance to everyone regarding preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Commonwealth. 

Please follow CDC and MDPH guidance to prevent COVID-19 illness by:

  • Clean your hands often for at least: 20 seconds
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Stay at least 6 feet between yourself and others
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

Please stay healthy and please call us with any needs.  We are her for you.

For more information, contact the Saugus Health Department at (781) 231-4117 and/or the Town Manager’s office at 781-231-4111.