Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, July 24, 2020 The Coronavirus count State reports four new confi rmed Saugus COVID-19 cases; two new deaths reported By Mark E. Vogler T he spread of Coronavirus continues to show a steady reduction in Saugus – like most communities in Massachusetts – as the state continues to move toward normalcy under Governor Charlie Baker’s Reopening Plan. There were just four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Saugus over the past week, raising the total to 566 confi rmed cases. This marked the sixth consecutive week that there were fewer than 10 cases reported, according to new data released late Wednesday afternoon by the state Department of Public Health (DPH). Meanwhile, the town’s death total from the virus increased by two to 38. For the second straight week, the state did not publish the rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population – a statistical analysis which two weeks ago had Saugus with a rate of 1,959.52 per 100,000, the 22nd highest rate among all communities across the state. Saugus has ranked among the top 25 in confi rmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 for most weeks since the town’s fi rst resident tested positive for the virus on March 19. The statistic made it easy to compare the incidence of COVID-19 in diff erent communities, large and small. The DPH website now includes a measurement which focuses on test results over the past 14 days up until Wednesday. Those statistics showed 5,926 Saugus residents have been tested for the virus so far – including 718 over the past 14 days; of those tested, there were 12 confi rmed cases of the virus for a positivity rate of 1.67 percent during that time. That matches the average state positivity rate of 1.67 percent. As of Wednesday, DPH offi cials reported 8,249 deaths statewide linked to COVID-19. Of those, 1,136 have been reported in Essex County The DPH has been releasing numbers of COVID-19 cases for all 351 municipalities, broken down by city and town, every Wednesday. As of Wednesday, there were 16,815 confi rmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Essex County, the third highest number among the state’s 14 counties. There were 114,320 confi rmed cases of the Coronavirus statewide. How Saugus compares to neighboring communities Town residents are able to compare the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Saugus to those in neighboring cities and towns as well as communities of similar size by going to the DPH website at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-responsereporting, then click on COVID-19 cases by city/town. Here’s how nine other area communities compare to Saugus: Lynn: 3,779 cases, 136 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 3.62 percent positivity. Revere: 1,870 cases, 70 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 4.30 percent positivity. Everett: 1,823 cases, 52 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 2.22 percent positivity. Malden: 1,280 cases, 34 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 2.12 percent positivity. Peabody: 1,021 cases, 29 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.79 percent positivity. Saugus: 566 cases, 12 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.67 percent positivity. Wakefi eld: 326 cases, 8 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.03 percent positivity. Melrose: 273 cases, 27 positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.48 percent positivity. Reading: 305 cases, 5 positive tests in the last 14 days, .75 percent positivity. Lynnfi eld: 98 cases, 0 positive tests in the last 14 days, 0 percent positivity. Statewide totals: 112,347 cases, 3,011 positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.67 percent positivity. (Data compiled by DPH and made public as of July 22, 2020.) Tips to protect yourself (off ered by the Town of Saugus) 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 • Staying home as much as possible – only leave for essential reasons • Covering 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 [sic] for you. For more information, contact the Saugus Health Department at 781-231-4117 and/or the Town Manager’s offi ce at 781-231-4111. For additional information about COVID-19, go to the town website at https://www. saugus-ma.gov/ and pull down the bar titled “COVID-19 Resources.” by Jim Miller Video Calling Solutions for Tech-Challenged Seniors Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some simple devices that can help techchallenged seniors with video calls? My 80-year-old mother has been isolating herself for months now in fear of the coronavirus and I haven’t been able to see her face-to-face in quite a while. Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, Video chatting is a great way to stay connected and keep tabs on an elder parent when you can’t be there, but it’s even more important now during this pandemic as many isolated seniors are also suff ering from chronic loneliness. To help connect you and your mom virtually, there are various products on the market that offer simple video calling for seniors who have limited ability or experience with technology. Here are four devices to consider. GrandPad: This is a top option for simple video calling, and much more. The GrandPad is an 8-inch tablet specifi cally designed for seniors, ages 75 and older. It comes with a stylus, a charging cradle and 4G LTE built-in so it works anywhere within the Consumer Cellular network – home Wi-Fi is not required. Ready to go right out of the box, GrandPad provides a simplifi ed menu of big icons and large text for only essential features, providing clutter-free, one-touch access to make and receive video calls, send voice emails, view photos and videos, listen to personalized music, check the weather, play games, browse the Internet and more. A GrandPad tablet costs $250 plus $40 monthly service fee and is sold through Consumer Cellular at GrandPad.net or call 888-545-1425. Amazon’s Echo Show: With its built-in camera and screen, the voice-command Echo Show also provides a simple way to have face-to-face chats with your mom, but she’ll need home Wi-Fi installed. Echo Shows, which come in three screen sizes – 5-inch ($90), 8-inch ($130) and 10-inch ($230), will let your mom make and receive video calls to those who have their own device, or who have the Alexa app installed on their smartphone or tablet. Once you set up her contacts, to make a call your mom could simply say, “Alexa, call my daughter” And when you call her, she would ask Alexa to answer the call (or ignore it). There’s also a feature called “drop-in” that would let you video call your mom’s device anytime without her having to answer it. Available at Amazon.com, the Echo Show also offers thousands of other features your mom would enjoy like voiceactivated access to news, weather, her favorite music and much more. If you decide to order an Echo Show device for mom, be sure your ask Amazon to mark it as a gift so it doesn’t get tied to your Amazon account. For instructions to help your mom set it up, or if she doesn’t have a smartphone, go to Amazon. com/gp/help/customer/display.html, and type in “Help Loved Ones Set Up Their Echo Show Remotely” in the “fi nd more solutions” bar. ViewClix: This is a smart picture frame specifi cally designed for elderly seniors that lets family members make video calls, send photos and post virtual sticky notes with messages to their loved ones ViewClix from their smartphone, tablet or computer. Seniors, however, cannot initiate video calls from their ViewClix. Home Wi-Fi is also required. Available in two sizes – 10-inch for $199, and 15-inch for $299 – you can learn more about this product at ViewClix.com. Facebook Portal: If your mom is a Facebook user, a voicecommand Facebook portal (see portal.facebook.com) is another simple way to stay connected – home Wi-Fi is needed. Portals, which come in three sizes – the original 10-inch Portal ($179), the 8-inch Mini ($129) and the massive 15-anda-half-inch Portal Plus ($279) – are like Echo Shows, except they connect through Facebook. With a Portal, your mom can video call your smartphone or tablet (and vice versa) using Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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