SAUGUS — AFC Urgent Care, located at 371 Broadway in Saugus, is now a community-based testing site for COVID-19.
The news comes less than a week after the state released a report designating Saugus a high-risk zone, qualifying for state intervention based on the town’s recent rise in coronavirus cases.
In order to combat the issue, a press release from the Town Manager’s office stated Saugus officials are working with the Commonwealth and other medical facilities to provide more community testing. Additional test sites will be announced soon.
Local health and safety offices will also be working with the state to “(analyze) data from the past couple weeks and develop specific strategies to prevent the spread through additional enforcement and prevention measures,” Town Manager Scott Crabtree said last week.
As of Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has reported 630 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community, including 39 deaths.
Since the pandemic began in March, state health officials report Massachusetts has seen 115,048 confirmed cases, including 8,645 deaths. More than 1,487,273 residents have been tested for the virus.
Last week, Gov. Charlie Baker announced the state would begin releasing a weekly map identifying the infection rate status of all Massachusetts towns and cities, classifying each as “high” (red), “moderate” (yellow), or “low” (green) risk.
The new metric shows the average number of cases detected in every community each day over the course of the previous two weeks. More than eight cases per 100,000 people translates to “high-risk.”
Communities with higher infection rates may see their playgrounds, parks, and even some businesses shut down or restricted if those locations are found to have contributed to new outbreaks.
“Regardless of where your community sits, COVID is not going away,” Baker said. “Your actions, no matter where you live or work, will determine in many respects whether and how this virus spreads.”
Testing at AFC Urgent Care is by appointment only. Appointments can be made online at afcurgentcaresaugus.com. Testing hours are Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available on the town’s website, as well as at mass.gov.
Those with additional questions are asked to contact the Saugus Health Department at (781) 231-4117, or the Town Manager’s office at (781) 231-4111.
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
