Update #1 (12 p.m.) Town of Dracut Confirms First COVID-19 Case

DRACUT —  The Board of Health announces that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has notified officials of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Dracut.

Dracut public health officials were notified by DPH of the positive test result and have been in contact with the resident. The patient is in isolation and recovering at home, per DPH orders. Public health officials are conducting contact tracing to identify and give guidelines to anyone who has been in close contact with the individual.

In order to protect the resident’s medical privacy rights, no additional information will be disclosed about the patients.

The COVID-19 situation is very fluid, and new information and guidelines are being posted by the CDC on a regular basis. The CDC offers the following guidance for how COVID-19 spreads. 

If anyone displays symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough or shortness of breath, they should not go to work or school and are advised to contact their primary care physician. According to the CDC, symptoms of the virus appear within 2-14 days of exposure.

Residents are urged to continue good hygiene practices to help prevent the spread of all communicable viruses, including COVID-19:

• Practice good hand hygiene. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds including under your fingernails. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol content) can be used when soap and water are not available.
• Keep your hands away from your face.
• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing with a tissue and discard it immediately. Cough into the sleeve over your elbow instead of your hand. Wash your hands often when coughing and sneezing.
• Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick.

Residents are also being asked to stay home unless absolutely necessary. If you need to go out into public for any reason, residents are encouraged to practice social distancing — keeping at least six feet away from others.

For more information, visit the DPH website by clicking here and the CDC’s website by clicking here. Information will be posted on the town’s website and social media pages.

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