COVID - Town Case Information
Positive Cases in Halifax - 718 cases as of November 9, 2021
November 9, 2021
The Town of Halifax has been notified of two additional cases of Halifax residents having COVID on Tuesday, November 9. That brings the totals for Halifax for the pandemic to 688 recovered, 19 in isolation, 11 deaths, and a total of 718 cases.
As mentioned before, unless the Town is notified, cases included in the "isolation" category are moved to "recovered" after fourteen days.
None of the counts include anyone who is in quarantine due to having been in close proximity with a confirmed or probable case. A person in quarantine does not necessarily have COVID, but is in quarantine so to reduce the chances of possibly transmitting the virus to others.
All cases included in the counts are Halifax residents. Some of the individuals included in the number of deaths were as nursing homes or assisted living facilities but were, nevertheless, residents of Halifax.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has more information about its definition of a "probable case".
Flu information is available as part of a series of weekly reports issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The Town receives information on the number of cases via "MAVEN". Infectious disease surveillance data collected by the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences (BIDLS) are maintained in the Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network (MAVEN). MAVEN contains epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and case management data utilized for case investigation and surveillance purposes on approximately 90 reportable infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
This information is received by the Fire Chief and Police Chief on a daily basis and is reviewed on a regular basis by the Halifax Board of Health. The Town's counts are based on this information which includes probable cases and positive cases along with information about any deaths received through the death certificates filed to the Town Clerk's office even if the deaths are not included in the MAVEN reports for Halifax.
If a resident tests positive a second time or more, those tests are not included in the counts listed above.
The Town is not providing the names of the deceased as it feels that it is up to the families to decide when and if to release this information. The five deaths are:
1) A resident, age in the 70s, who was living in a senior care facility in another community, who died on Wednesday, April 8
2) A resident, age in the 60s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Friday, April 24 due to COVID-19 and other factors
3) A resident, age in the 70s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Monday, April 27 due to COVID-19 and other factors
4) A resident, age in the 80s, who died on Sunday, May 10 due to COVID-19
5) A resident, age in the 80s, who died on Thursday, May 14 due to COVID-19
6) A resident, age in the 80s, who was living in a senior care facility in another community, who died on Sunday, June 7 due to COVID-19
7) A resident, age in the 60s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Friday, January 8 due to COVID-19 and other factors.
8) A resident, age in the 70s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Wednesday, January 13 due to COVID-19 and other factors.
9) A resident, age in the 80s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Saturday, January 30 due to a number of factors including COVID.
10) A resident, age in the 80s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Thursday, February 18 due to a number of factors including COVID.
11) A resident, age in the 80s, who was at a hospital in another community, who died on Saturday, April 24 due to a number of factors including COVID.
Due top privacy requirements, the demographics of these cases will remain anonymous. The close contacts of the positive case have been notified and are following CDC guidelines for self-quarantine. Other contacts are still being investigated. With increased testing capabilities and community spread of COVID-19, having positive cases in Town was inevitable. This is a crucial time in infection control. Maintaining social distancing, limiting exposure to others, avoiding crowded places, and vigilant handwashing are vital steps in slowing the spread of this disease.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) continues to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other Federal agencies and our local Board of Health to share the most up to date information available. The DPH website is updated constantly with the latest guidance, including printable fact sheets in multiple languages at www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus. Information about coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19 can be found at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website, by calling 2-1-1 or visiting https://mass211.org/ where citizens are able to live chat with a person.