Medford Coronavirus: 45 Deaths, 264 Cases At Long-Term Homes

MEDFORD, MA — There have been 45 deaths attributed to the coronavirus at Medford's long-term care homes, according to a spokesperson for the city. A total of 264 people have tested positive for the virus across the three facilities.

The Department of Public Health has expanded testing with the help of the National Guard, which has been to the facilities at least five times over the past two weeks. The Board of Health and Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn are in daily communication with facility directors to address needs such as PPE, staffing and testing.

"We know that this is not an unusual situation; most long-term care facilities across the state are experiencing high numbers of positive cases as their residents are among the most at risk for COVID-19," a city spokesperson wrote in an email to Patch. "Each of the facilities in Medford has protocols and procedures for communicating with residents' families, like offering daily updates and opportunities to speak with the health care team assigned to loved ones. We understand there are conversations to the contrary within the community but we strongly encourage any loved ones with questions or concerns to contact the facility directly. The directors and staff committed to open lines of communication at all times."