ACTON — Town Manager John Mangiaratti, Health Director Sheryl Ball and Director of Nursing Services Heather York would like to remind the community to remain vigilant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues through the coming holiday season.
The Town is now seeing 54 active cases of COVID-19, the highest number since January.
“The number of COVID-19 cases are rising in the state and Town once again,” Director Ball said. “It’s vital that everyone take precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones, especially as they gather during the holidays.”
“Unfortunately we are seeing a number of breakthrough cases of COVID-19,” Director York said. “The Town urges anyone who is showing symptoms of an illness to seek out a PCR COVID-19 test before returning to regular activities, and to follow holiday guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.“
How to Protect Yourself and Others
Get vaccinated
- Get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can. Authorized COVID-19 vaccines protect recipients from COVID-19.
- Residents should seek booster shots if they are eligible, either six months after their second dose of Moderna or Pfizer BioNTech, or two months after their dose of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
- Those who are fully vaccinated may be able to start doing activities that were stopped because of the pandemic.
Wear a mask
- Everyone 2 years of age or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places.
- Masks are not generally needed in outdoor settings, but should be considered in areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
- People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated. Continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask until advised otherwise by a healthcare provider.
- If you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.
- Wearing a mask over one’s nose and mouth is required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor areas of a conveyance (like on open deck areas of a ferry or the uncovered top deck of a bus).
- Stay 6 feet away from others
- Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
- Outside your home: Keep 6 feet between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
- Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
- Being in crowds like in restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters puts you at higher risk for COVID-19.
- Avoid indoor spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors as much as possible.
- If indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible.
Wash your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. It’s especially important to wash:
- Before eating or preparing food
- Before touching your face
- After using the restroom
- After leaving a public place
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After handling your mask
- After changing a diaper
- After caring for someone sick
- After touching animals or pets
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover coughs and sneezes
If you are wearing a mask you can cough or sneeze into your mask. Put on a new, clean mask as soon as possible and wash your hands.
If you are not wearing a mask:
- Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
- Throw used tissues in the trash.
- Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Clean and disinfect
Clean high touch surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- If someone is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19, disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
- Use a household disinfectant product from EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) according to manufacturer’s labeled directions.
- If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Monitor your health daily
- Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms.
- Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
- Take your temperature if symptoms develop. Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
- Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.