19 new COVID-19 cases in one day brings Grafton’s pandemic count to 302
Grafton’s COVID-19 case count reached a milestone on December 1, marking a new high in daily cases — 19 — and officially crossing the 300 line in overall case count since the virus emerged locally in March.
The news comes in the wake of Thanksgiving, when college students returned home for break and health officials nationwide urged against large gatherings for the traditional turkey feast.
“In this area, what’s driving this is community spread,” said Karyn Clark, director of public health for the city of Worcester and a member of the Central Mass Health Alliance.
Large families, college students who share communal off-campus housing, and informal gatherings are cited as places where the virus is spreading but, often, the source of contagion is unknown, she told the Select Board Tuesday night. This is a contrast to the spring, where the virus took hold in senior housing and nursing homes.
“When we got 19 today, I felt like something had shifted,” said Select Board member Ed Prisby, recalling the summer months when Grafton would go for several days without a new case. “I feel like socially distancing is something we did six months ago, but we shrug our shoulders now because we’re sick of it.”
Board of Health Chair Dan Finn said 11 Grafton residents have died of COVID-19 causes since the first case on March 21.
“I feel that we are really in the teeth of the worst part of the pandemic right now,” Dr. Mike Hirsh from the Central Mass Health Alliance said. “The community spread is quite astounding,”
One in five people tested in Worcester last week tested positive. There are no beds available at UMass Memorial Medical Center and, more concerning, “we’re not running short of PPE… what we are falling short of is healthy medical staff.”
Unlike in the spring, Massachusetts is unable to call for medical backup from other states because the pandemic is spiking in 49 states at the same time, with only Hawaii out of danger, Hirsh said. Frontline workers and first responders will be the priority for the new vaccines, which will have a small distribution at the end of December.
