Baker releases color–coded system for COVID–19 risk at–a–glance

Aug. 20, 2020 | Sarah Heinonen
sarah@thereminder.com

A map displays the level of COVID–19 transmission risk in Massachusetts communities using a red–green–yellow color–coding system.
Photo credit: www.mass.gov

LONGMEADOW – In the ongoing fight to keep the rates of COVID-19 low in Massachusetts, the Baker-Polito Administration has created a color-coded system to quickly and easily assess the risk of COVID-19 transmission in a given city or town.

 “Using stoplight colors – red, yellow, and green – we’ve created color charts depicting municipalities regarding new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 [residents],” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders at an Aug. 11 press conference announcing the designations.

The system is fairly straightforward. A municipality shaded in red on the map indicates that it has a rate of more than eight new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents within the previous two week period and are considered high risk. Yellow cities and towns have between four and eight new cases per 100,000 and are at moderate risk. Green, low-risk communities have fewer than four cases per 100,000 residents. Finally, any area not shaded on the map has reported fewer than five cases total in the previous two-week window.

Sudders addressed Baystaters who live in high-risk municipalities. “To residents in these communities, we have some simple messages. There is an extremely high level of COVID in your community. Respect the virus and stay vigilant.”

Based on the latest data available at press time, from July 26 to Aug. 8, Agawam, East Longmeadow, West Springfield, Westfield and Wilbraham are among the towns considered low risk. Chicopee, Easthampton, Longmeadow and Springfield have a moderate risk. The only high-risk municipalities in Hampden and Hampshire Counties are Holyoke and Granby.

“The color classification is an indicia of the COVID case incidence at one point in time. It is always important to dig behind the statistics to really understand the transmission risk within the community,” said Longmeadow Health Director Beverly Hirschhorn.

Hirschhorn explained to Reminder Publishing that there was an uptick in cases about two weeks ago as a result of people traveling to “hot spots” and another out-of-town sources. She expects to see the risk classification revert back to low-risk “green” as those residents recover.

Hirschhorn praised the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for allowing “generous use of public health grant funds to enhance contact tracing and other data collection/data analysis.” She also noted as helpful the guidance from state epidemiologists and assistance to municipal boards of health.

The state’s COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team, which includes members of the Executive Office and Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Command Center, the Massachusetts State Police (MSP), the Department of Labor Standards (DLS), the Division of Professional Licensure (DPL), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Division of Local Services (DLS), the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) and the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS), will provide aid to high risk communities through the following actions:

• Targeted interventions and inspections by a range of member agencies, including Local Services, Labor Standards, DPH, MSP and ABCC, coordinated by EOPSS and MEMA.

• Increased enforcement, including fines, of sector guidance for businesses to ensure businesses and residents are aware of and following COVID-19 orders.

• Cease and desist orders as necessary for businesses and organizations in violation of the COVID-19 orders.

• Support for ABCC and local licensing boards in exercising their existing authority to fine restaurants or suspend or cancel liquor licenses when restaurants do not comply with required COVID-19 safety measure or sanitation codes.

• Targeted public messaging to alert residents of higher risk COVID communities (road signs, PSAs, reverse 911, etc.).

• Technical support to local government officials to support enhanced local COVID-19 prevention efforts such as assistance in accessing CARES Act funding.

• Potential restrictions or shutdowns for parks, playgrounds, businesses or other entities and locations believed to be contributing to the COVID-19 spread in higher risk COVID-19 communities.

• Additional public health support such as testing, tracing and quarantining.

Jumping off the color–codes, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released expectations for return-to-school models. According to DESE, green and white communities should return full-time or with a hybrid model that has students on campus part time, yellow communities should use the hybrid model or go fully remote and red communities should continue remotely. By the time this guidance was issued, however, most municipalities had already voted on which plan they will implement in the fall.

The information on what designation communities fall under will be updated weekly by the Department of Public Health based on the most current two–week window.

Baker reminded residents at the press conference, “Regardless of where your community sits, COVID is not going away.”

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