Massachusetts Reporting 8 Cases of Coronavirus; 700+ in Quarantine

BOSTON – Massachusetts Department of Public Health is reporting 8 cases of the Coronavirus, as of this afternoon, March 6, 2020.

State officials said all the cases in Massachusetts involved close contact with a person known to have the illness

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The cases include

• 5 Biogen employees include two women and a man, in their 40s, who live in Boston.
• 2 Norfolk County residents
• Norfolk County woman in her 20s, who returned from an organized school trip overseas
• Middlesex County woman in her 60s who had recently traveled to northern Italy.
• The first case was a UMass student, who travelled to Wuhan, China.

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Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said that the Boston Marathon is not being cancelled and neither is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, as of today.

But an NCAA game between Framingham State University and Amherst College in Amherst will have no fans tonight, due to the Coronavirus threat.

Earlier today, the Wellesley Superintendent of Schools decided to close two schools early, after a parent was diagnosed with the virus.

Although the risk to Massachusetts residents of the novel coronavirus is low, the risk for influenza is currently high. Many of the things you do to help prevent colds and the flu can help protect you against other respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean things that are frequently touched (like doorknobs and countertops) with household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue or your inner elbow, not your hands.
• Stay home if you are sick and avoid close contact with others.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control is report 19 states with the Coronavirus.

There have been 164 cases and 11 deaths.

Graphic courtesy of the state of Georgia.