COVID claims another life as Mansfield remains in red

Nov. 5--MANSFIELD -- Another Mansfield resident has died from COVID as the town continues to fall into the "red" or higher risk area, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The resident died on Oct. 28, according to information released by the Board of Health on Nov. 5. Prior to this, the last coronavirus-related death had been on Oct. 6. A total of 16 Mansfield residents have died since the pandemic started earlier this year.

Twenty-two positive COVID cases are in isolation in Mansfield as of Nov. 5, according to the BOH. Mansfield has had 288 cases since the start of the pandemic. Some 250 people have recovered.

Mansfield is currently designated as a "red" or higher risk community based of the severity of its COVID infection rate, according to the state Department of Public Health. That means that an average of more than eight daily cases per 100,000 people has been diagnosed over the previous two weeks

Mansfield has had 32 people test positive for COVID between Oct. 11-24, according to the DPH.

The town has obtained two testing labs for staff to use if needed, Town Manager Kevin Dumas reported to the Select Board at its Nov. 4 meeting.

He had expected the town to continue to be in the "red" designation for this week but said he hoped it wouldn't be for a third week.

Gov. Charlie Baker launched a colored-coded system to label cities and towns based of the severity of their COVID-19 infection rates.

Wrentham, Attleboro, North Attleboro, Norton, Foxborough, and Brockton are among area communities with the higher "red" designation as of Oct. 29.

Other moderate risk "yellow" designated communities include Plainville, Easton and Foxborough, where there have been four to eight cases per 100,000 in 14 days.

Sharon is the only "green" community in the immediate area with less than five cases per 100,000 in 14 days as of Oct. 29.

The governor also issued new restrictions on business hours, private gathers and wearing mask to address the rising numbers.

Dumas said the new rules would not impact the special Town Meeting set for Saturday, Nov. 7, except that masks would be mandatory to attend inside the town highway garage. Those without masks would be assigned to a tent outside the building, he said.

"A face covering is required for admittance," he said.

School Superintendent Teresa Murphy has said that a "red" designation did not automatically mean Mansfield would move from a hybrid of in-person and remote learning to all remote.

The school website reports there are currently six people who take part in in-person learning in isolation after testing positive for COVID as of Nov. 4. The total number since Sept. 1 is 10. Among the all-remote learning community, there has only been one case.

For the latest local numbers and information on COVID, residents can go to the schools' Return to Learning site at www.mansfieldschools.com and the town BOH's websites at www.mansfieldma.com.

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