March 30 COVID19 Update

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

                                                                                                                                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/30/20

First COVID-19 Positive Case in Resident at Local Long-Term Care Facility

Belmont, MA: March 30.  The Belmont Health Department has been informed of its first positive COVID-19 case in an elderly resident at a long-term care facility in Belmont. 

Staff at the long-term care facility are complying with the self-quarantine protocol provided by MDPH and the COVID-19 positive individual has been isolated and is receiving supportive care away from other members of the facility. Their roommate has also been isolated from the general population at the facility and is receiving individualized care to help prevent further spread of the virus. 

Prior to this first positive case of COVID-19, staff at the long-term care facility had informed Belmont Health Department officials of their plans to follow guidance from MDPH and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to minimize resident exposure to COVID-19.  Protocols in place include: strict restrictions to prohibit outside visitors to the facility, screening all staff for COVID-19 symptoms prior to entering the facility before each shift, checking each resident for symptoms twice each day, suspension of group activities and meals, keeping residents at least 6-feet apart from one and other, and regular cleaning of the facility.

The Belmont Health Department is responsible for conducting contact investigations of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, in collaboration with MDPH. This helps to prevent further spread by having contacts of cases self-quarantine.

There are currently 14 MDPH confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Belmont as of 3/30/20. 

Please be advised that due to limited availability of tests, and reported evidence of community spread in Massachusetts, we do not believe these numbers represent a complete count of the spread of the virus in the Belmont community.

Local resources, information, and updates are  posted on the Town’s website by following the link below: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/home/urgent-alerts/covid-19-information-for-the-town-of-belmont-find-all-updates-here .