Barnstable County Ramps Up COVID-19 Response as Cases Continue to Increase
BARNSTABLE COUNTY
REGIONAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE
SUPERIOR COURT HOUSE
POST OFFICE BOX 427
BARNSTABLE, MA 02630
BCREPC Media Release
Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee
Media Release 007 – COVID-19
April
For Immediate Release
Barnstable County Ramps Up COVID-19 Response as Cases Continue to Increase
BARNSTABLE (MA) April 17, 2020 – The Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) held a conference call on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. to review the current COVID-19 conditions and to discuss updates to response efforts in the county. Individuals present on the call included over 100 representatives from agencies across Cape Cod’s 15 towns and Nantucket, including elected officials, representatives from Cape Cod Healthcare, and several nonprofits engaged in responding to COVID-19.
Updates and guidance
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there have been a total of 550 positive cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths in Barnstable County at the time of this call. Barnstable County continues to anticipate an increase in positive COVID-19 cases across the region over the next week to two weeks.
BCREPC Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) continues to operate as a limited activation in response to COVID-19 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily. The MACC remains focused on its efforts to assist with resource requests from various agencies across Cape Cod, especially for personal protective equipment (PPE). To date, the MACC has arranged over 70 truck deliveries of supplies to Police and Fire Departments, group homes, and other agencies.
The MACC also continues to support and handle resource requests at the COVID-19 test site at Cape Cod Community College. Since testing began on March 17, 2020, a total of 1,900 vehicles have driven through with patients scheduled for testing. The site has updated its hours of operation to Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and testing continues to be scheduled through Cape Cod Health Care.
The Cape Cod and the Islands Regional Network on Homelessness COVID-19 Emergency Planning Team continues to lead a coordinated response addressing the needs of the homeless population. A hotel-stay program has been implemented, providing a facility with a total of 25 rooms for individuals who need to self-quarantine but do not have a place to do so. A mobile shower and heated bathroom facilities were erected in the parking lot of Duffy Health Center, and the team has launched a community-wide effort to collect toiletries, shoes, and clothing. PPE for volunteers, especially masks, face shields, and gowns, are still sought after.
As of today, the surge site at Royal Falmouth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is open and staffed, operating as a step-down unit for patients at Falmouth Hospital with COVID-19. A Monday soft opening is planned for surge sites at the former Wingate Nursing Home in Brewster and at Joint Base Cape Cod.
The BCREPC wants to ensure that Barnstable County residents know that a coordinated response continues to take place in our region. The general public is asked to help slow the spread by limiting movement outside of their homes beyond what is necessary to take care of essentials. The BCREPC encourages all citizens to wear a mask, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and wash hands for at least 20 seconds. For more information, visit www.barnstablecountyhealth.org/
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Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC)
The BCREPC was founded in September 2002 to assist the communities on Cape Cod and the Town of Nantucket with addressing hazardous materials emergency planning and response as required by the federal government. Today, the BCREPC has expanded its scope to include “All Hazard” emergency planning issues such as storm response, sheltering and grants management. The BCREPC is a coalition of emergency management, law enforcement, fire service, health care, public health, public works, EMS, military, and numerous other affiliated agencies as outlined by the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Committee (SERC). It represents the towns of Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth in Barnstable County, and the town of Nantucket in Nantucket County. The REPC is coordinated by the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. Visit www.bcrepc.org
