Massachusetts is experiencing a steady and concerning rise in COVID-19 cases in long-term care facility residents and staff. With the concern of a potential fall COVID-19 fall surge, Mass Senior Care urges members to remain diligent in the implementation of infection control measures to mitigate the risk of transmission of respiratory virus and COVID-19.
As a reminder, the DPH released guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness after the expiration of the PHE. Health care facilities must identify and monitor respiratory illness metrics to indicate when there are increased levels which may necessitate implementing additional infection control measures. One possible metric is the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking which measures the SARS-CoV2 levels. The data as of October 30, 2023 is found in the table below.
Additionally, the DPH has transitioned to a Respiratory Illness Dashboard which provides information on COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations and data related to other respiratory illnesses.