Natick Coronavirus Update: Town Resumes Case Counts
NATICK, MA — Natick health officials have resumed giving out coronavirus case counts in town, and the total has jumped since the last time the town reported figures.
As of Tuesday, 16 people in Natick had active confirmed coronavirus. The town last reported figures on March 26, when there were only two confirmed active cases. Also on Tuesday, Natick reported that 15 people have been removed from either quarantine or isolation recently.
Last Friday, Natick officials said they would stop posting local coronavirus figures after guidance from the state Department of Public Health and Gov. Charlie Baker's office. Natick Health Director Jim White said he was told "numerous times" last week not to share local information.
Asked about the issue on Monday, a state DPH spokesperson told Patch that towns could release the information if they wanted to:
"In order to protect privacy and confidentiality of individuals who test positive for COVID-19, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health only shares positive case numbers and deaths by county. The decision to share case counts is the responsibility of a city or town. DPH recommends that local boards of health respect the privacy and confidentiality of residents when providing case counts."
In addition to a new web page dedicated to coronavirus, Natick has set up a hotline for resident at 508-647-6540 (option 6). The hotline is for non-medical issues like getting help with groceries or medication.
This article originally appeared on the Natick Patch
