Westford Health Department has reported that as of noontime today there are more than 150 active cases of COVID-19, up from 86 on November 30–and 109 cases on December 22. Â And the actual number could be even higher, according to Rae Dick, Director of Environmental Services. Due to the popularity of home test kits, fewer people are opting out of clinical visits and are instead using the at-home version.
The at-home tests are simple, affordable, accurate and private. But the problem, according to Dick, “is that maybe people are not reporting the results of those tests,” thereby skewing the data. There is no requirement to report a positive test result, but the CDC does recommend a series of precautionary steps to follow, as outlined on the town’s website .
The recent surge has taxed the space and resources of nearby medical facilities such as Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Emerson Hospital in Concord and Lowell General Hospital. The number of cases is “constantly opening and closing,” said Dick. But the current figure of 151 is the highest in recent months.
The current strain of COVID is, by and large, less severe but more transmissible than previous incantations. “Most vaccinated people have relatively mild symptoms,” said Dick but she cautions that booster shots, masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing are still important preventatives to stopping the spread.
The holiday surge predicted by health officials has become a reality across the country. But according to most experts, a fully vaccinated persons can profoundly minimize the virus’s severity.
Active Case Count: Westford
22nd December: 109
17th December: 102
7th December: 120
30th November: 86
23rd November: 90
17th November: 71
3rd November: 41
28th October: 51
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