Here is an update on COVID-19 here in Newton.

As of yesterday, there are five presumptive positive COVID-19 cases in Middlesex County. These five presumptive positive cases are all linked to the recent Biogen event.

Newton Public Schools staff and families were notified by email last night that a Newton resident is one of the people who has tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 as announced by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) on Sunday afternoon, March 8. (Read the Superintendent’s letter here.) This resident is the parent of a student in the Newton Public Schools.

The family is following the self-quarantine protocol provided by the MDPH. The Newton Health and Human Services Department is following up with any additional contacts by this person in the community and regularly monitoring his/her health and the health of others in the home. The student is also following the quarantine protocol from the MDPH and does not have symptoms of COVID-19.

The Newton Public Schools Facilities Department cleaned and disinfected the impacted school building on Sunday prior to opening today, Monday, March 9. NPS has strengthened cleaning protocols at all schools, including high touch points. NPS is closely monitoring hand wipes and soap dispensers to ensure regular refill and has purchased a large supply of hand sanitizer that is being distributed to all schools.

In collaboration with the MDPH, local health departments conduct investigations to identify contacts by confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19. In Newton, the staff in the Health and Human Services Department is actively conducting these investigations. This helps to prevent further spread by having contacts of cases self-quarantine.

You may also want to look at the CDC updated recommendations for people at higher risk — older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes or lung disease. The CDC has suggestions for extra precautions these higher risk people may take to avoid getting sick. The information is here.

Hearing news of COVID-19 in Newton is understandably unsettling. City staff, including those in my office, the Health and Human Services Department, the Newton Public Schools and many other City departments are working hard to answer questions about this evolving serious public health situation. We are carefully making decisions based on expert health advice from the CDC and MDPH, including on closures and cancellations.

Resources, information and updates are available here: www.newtonma.gov/covid19.

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