LITTLETON — Police Chief Matthew Pinard and Fire Chief Scott Wodzinski confirmed today that the Town of Littleton has been notified by Littleton Health officials of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in town.
The Board of Health will continue its disease surveillance and monitoring activities to help slow the spread of this disease; listed below is a summary of those activities.
When the Board of Health receives laboratory confirmation that an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 it takes the following actions:
A public health nurse contacts the individual who tested positive and directs them to isolate, as required by State regulations; the nurse will monitor them during their isolation period. In addition to providing ongoing support and education about isolation, the nurse will also make an assessment to identify those individuals that have been in close contact with this person (defined as anyone within 6 feet of the individual for more than 15 minutes).
The nurse will then contact those individuals and they will be requested to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days; the Board of Health will establish a monitoring system with these individuals.
The Town continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 within the community and will take appropriate actions as directed by the MDPH to mitigate the spread of the virus.
The Board of Health officials encourages residents to adhere to the following safety and wellness guidelines:
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes with your hands
- Cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve (not with your hands)
- Clean and disinfect surface areas frequently
- Remain out of congregate settings, avoid mass gatherings, and maintain Social Distancing of at least 6 feet from others
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Stay home, and only go out for essential items
The Littleton Police and Fire Departments will continue to respond to all emergencies and are taking all proper precautions when coming in contact with residents and community members.
Both departments stress that the COVID-19 situation remains a very fluid and rapidly evolving situation and both departments are working closely with town leadership and health officials to address COVID-19.
“Our members remain wholly committed to serving the community of Littleton,” Chief Pinard said. “This is an unprecedented time for us all, and it’s essential that residents take the precautions recommended by the governor and health officials and stay home unless it’s absolutely essential to go out, and avoid close contact with anyone if you do leave your home.”
Both departments will continue to limit access to the stations to outside visitors for general, walk-in business until further notice.
In an effort to continue practicing social distancing, all citizens are asked to make all non-emergency reports and inquiries to both departments by telephone or email, rather than in person.
The Littleton Police Department can be reached at its business line at 978-952-2300. The LittletonFire Department can be reached at 978-952-2302. The Board of Health Agent Jim Gareffi can be reached at 978-772-3335, extension 305.
As always, please call 911 for any emergency.
“While the Board of Health has stressed that everyone adhere to the Governors orders, our firefighters are continuing to come to work and serve our residents,” Chief Wodzinski said. “We ask that residents adhere to the stay-at-home advisory and do their part to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
Safety Measures & Precautions
In addition to limiting public access to their stations, the Littleton Police and Fire Departments have taken the following actions:
- Practicing social distancing while at work and at home
- Increasing the cleaning and sanitation of common touch points and surfaces
- Encouraging proper self-care and hygiene including frequently washing hands, ensuring bathrooms are stocked with hand washing materials and making cleaning products and sanitizers available
- Ensuring all personnel are fit-tested for masks
- Reviewing Contagious Diseases and Pandemic Planning and Response policies
- Reviewing the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Modifying medical response protocol
- Ensuring the department has ample supplies of PPE for medical responses
These temporary measures will be reviewed on a continuous basis. When changes are necessary, they will be communicated to the public.
For more information, visit the DPH website by clicking here and the CDC’s website by clicking here.
###
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.