THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2021 Page 5 Waiting on the rollout Number of new COVID-19 cases this week is nearly half as many as in prior week; Crabtree says it may take up to 10 weeks to complete vaccine rollout for seniors and high-risk population By Mark E. Vogler T he encouraging news, according to town officials, is that the number of new Coronavirus cases has continued to drop in recent weeks as the town distances itself from the post-holiday surge that was seeing a stretch of 200 to 300 new cases weekly. In the latest count released yesterday (Thursday, Feb. 4) by the town, there were 79 new cases over the past week, as the overall total increased to 3,292 confirmed cases since the outbreak of the global pandemic last March. That is nearly half as many as the 153 new cases reported a week ago. Meanwhile the death total of Saugus residents increased by two to 62. “That’s still a lot cases and we still need to be very vigilant and hope that this downward trend continues,” Saugus Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree said in an interview yesterday. “Everybody has got to continue to use their due diligence as we continue to wait for the vaccine from the state. Once our Health Department secures enough vaccines for the community, they will do a roll out for seniors and the high risk people,” he said. “Hopefully, that can be accomplished within the next 8 to 10 weeks, based on what we get from the state and the federal government, in my opinion.” Saugus, like most communities, has been hindered in its efforts to slow down the spread of the virus because the vaccine rollout has not been working as smoothly as town officials had hoped, according to Crabtree. “It’s been frustrating for us,” Crabtree said. Last week, Crabtree had complained to selectmen that the town was still waiting for vaccines for first responders that were supposed to be delivered three weeks earlier, and he noted that 20 people were affected. Crabtree blamed the local problems on the available supply – a problem that has been common. “We want to vaccinate people as soon as possible, especially high-risk people,” he said. The Saugus Senior Center has recently been inundated with calls from Saugus residents who wanted to know when the vaccine will be available. “They’ve received close to 100 calls over the past week,” Crabtree said. A press release issued on February 3 by the Town of Saugus also noted that 53 more people in Massachusetts have died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the state total to 14,415. In addition, there were 2,186 newly reported cases. So far, 504,564 cases in total have been confirmed while 13,874,158 total tests for the virus have been administered. The February 3 COVID-19 update also provided information on how residents can obtain tests to determine whether they have contracted the virus. “The Town of Saugus has partnered with the Commonwealth, Fallon Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the Square One Mall as a collaborative effort to work to downgrade the Town’s designated “High Risk” red COVID-19 status by establishing and extending the following COVID-19 testing sites in Saugus: “Fallon EMS at the Square One Mall (Far Side Parking Lot on Essex Street), located at 1201 Broadway with entry off of Essex Street, will offer free mobile drive-up testing for Saugus residents in their cars Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is needed. [Residents] drive-up and register using a tablet when they arrive. Saugus Police will be assisting with traffic. The testing site will be staffed by 1012 individuals to handle registrations. All samples go directly to the Broad [Institute] in Cambridge for immediate testing with a 24-36 hour turnaround time. Notification of results will be made for negative results via emails while phone calls will be made for positive COVID-19 results. These sites do close when it rains because of risk of test contamination. The state has indicated the site will remain open until further notice. “This information will be on the Town’s website and on the state’s website: https:// www.mass.gov/info-details/ stop-the-spread?rgja#saugus-. “The Board of Health and the Saugus Health Department will continue to partner with the state and are working on a planned response to the COVID-19. They are 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 Charlie Baker [directed] to wear a cloth face cover over [your] face when around others, practice social distancing, avoid gatherings, and to follow the CDC and MDPH guidance. “Again, this is a reminder that … the CDC and MDPH [have] 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: • Cleaning your hands often for at least: 20 seconds • Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth • Staying at least six 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 [here] 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.”
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