TheCambridge Record
Agenda ItemsCity Manager's Agenda

CMA 2020-266

A Covid-19 update

How it started
Nov 23, 2020 · Submitted by Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager.
What happened
Nov 23, 2020 · 📁 Placed on file. This was an informative report; there were no decisions to make. (unanimous)

Voted yes (9), unanimous

  • Dennis Carlone
  • Patty Nolan
  • Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
  • Alanna Mallon
  • Marc McGovern
  • Sumbul Siddiqui
  • E. Denise Simmons
  • Timothy J. Toomey
  • Quinton Zondervan
Roll call of Nov 23, 2020 · from the city’s record · photos: City of Cambridge
What’s next
🚪 End of the line: filing closes the matter. Nothing further is scheduled.
The document Agenda item attachment · 15 pages

Testing Positivity Rates

in CHA Communities (August to Present) Note: Each bar represents the number of positive PCR tests among residents in a community divided by the number of tests administered to residents in that community during a 14-day period. Source: Graphic created by Cambridge Health Alliance based on data in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s weekly COVID-19 data reports.

Current Data

2,041 confirmed, probable, and suspect cases1 ○1,767 in the community ○274 in nursing homes and assisted living ○100 deaths (NOTE: Nursing home/assisted living and death counts holding steady for many weeks) 1,225 recoveries; 440 active cases1 Average daily incidence rate of confirmed cases in last 7 days2: 17.3 per 100,000 residents 1 Data current as of Nov. 23, 2020, 10 a.m. 2 7-day period reflects 11/16/20 - 11/22/20.

New Cambridge Cases: Mar - Nov

Dark orange line = 7-day Moving Average (case count)

Vertical orange lines/bars = New Positive Cases

312,540 Tests since March 21 | 50,947 Tests in past 14 days2 Tests administered to Cambridge residents at any health care or city site. Testing offered 7 days a week, starting Nov. 9.

Sites in East Cambridge, Harvard Square, North

Cambridge, and The Port. 30,276 tests administered since April. ○12,116 from Nov. 1–22 (additional data pending) ○Additional site added Nov. 23 to accommodate increased demand.

ALL TESTING SITES

CITY-FUNDED TESTING PROGRAM

1Testing period March 2-Nov. 14, 2020; 2Testing period Nov 1-14, 2020. ●More than 2,000 COVID-19 tests conducted over two days: ○Pisani Center, Sat. 11/21: 850 tests ○CambridgeSide drive thru, Sun., 11/22: 1,152 tests ○Wait time for test: < 1 hour ○Cambridge Pandemic Collaborative: Established to increase testing capacity & throughput; CPHD staff deployed to assist Fire, Police and ProEMS ●Result turnaround time increased: ○Broad Institute analyzes 50% of COVID-19 tests conducted in MA (and 15% conducted nationwide) 9 11

Additional Cambridge Measures

to Curb COVID-19 Spread ●Targeted Neighborhood Outreach ○N. Cambridge, E. Cambridge, The Port, Cambridgeport ○Cambridge Community Corps (C3) members will go door-to-door, speaking with residents about how and where to get tested (first week of Dec) ○Leave behind testing information in multiple languages ●Holiday Gathering Guidance ○Press release, social media and Code Red announcement reminding residents to celebrate with household members only and important steps to take if celebrating with others. 12

Additional Cambridge Measures

to Curb COVID-19 Spread ●Wastewater Surveillance: Partnership with Biobot Analytics, Inc. to track COVID-19 outbreaks by analyzing wastewater. ○Wastewater data will serve as early warning sign of increased COVID-19 infections. ○Four collection points cover the majority of the city. ○Data posted on City Dashboard in the next 2 weeks (waiting on analysis). ●Flu Clinics: @2,700 flu vaccines to date (>2.5 x of past) ○First ever drive-thru clinic (11/14); 717 flu shots ○School-based mandate (by 12/31) 13

COVID-19 Testing in K-12 Schools

CPS staff are being tested twice a week, on a voluntary basis, as part of a CPHD surveillance program. Testing is also offered to symptomatic students who become ill at school. 5,038 Tests Tests administered to CPS staff through the voluntary testing program since Oct. 15 (as of Nov. 23) 978 Staff Tested Total # of CPS staff who have been tested through the voluntary testing program since Oct. 15 5X Average number of times a CPS staff member has gotten tested through the program since Oct. 15 52 students Symptomatic CPS students who have been tested through the program since Oct. 15 14

COVID-19 Testing in K-12 Schools

Per Week

15

🗓 The meeting where this was taken up: Nov 23, 2020