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SERA: ALL OF THE NEW PATIENTS IDENTIFIED ARE BEING MONITORED IN THEIR HOMES. TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. STATEWIDE, A TOTAL OF 28 CASES. WHAT IS CONFIRMED BY THE CDC. 27 ARE PRESUMPTIVE. ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 23 OF THOSE CASES IDENTIFIED IN MASSACHUSETTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIOGEN MEETING THAT WAS HELD IN LATE FEBRUARY. >> IT’S THESE MASS GATHERINGS. THIS IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS. COVID-19 WE THINK FOR EVERY ONE PERSON INFECTED, AN ADDITIONAL THREE PEOPLE GET INFECTED FROM THAT ONE PERSON. SERA: A REMINDER ABOUT PREVENTING THE SPREAD. OFFICIALS ARE URGING EVERYONE TO WASH THEIR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS TO STAY HOME IF SICK AND DO NOT SELF DIAGNOSE. CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU ARE FEELING SICK. IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE RISK IS STILL REMAINING LOW.

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced 15 new presumptive positive cases in the state, all of which had a direct connection to the Biogen employee conference in Boston late last month.The new presumptive positive cases, which were released Sunday, include five from Suffolk County ranging in age from 30s to 60s; five from Middlesex County ranging in age from 40s to 60s; four cases from Norfolk County ranging in age from 40s to 60s; and a female whose age and county of residence are unknown at the time of this release. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts has risen to 28. There are 27 presumptive positive cases and one confirmed case, which involves a University of Massachusetts, Boston, student.Among Sunday's presumptive positive cases were eight men and seven women. All of Sunday's presumptive positive cases are isolating at home. Takeda, a pharmaceutical company with U.S. headquarters in Cambridge urged its 5,000 employees in the state to work from home. The Boston Public Health Commission, meanwhile, confirmed that the five new presumptive positive cases in Suffolk County are Boston residents, bringing the total number of confirmed or presumptive cases in the city to nine.The five new cases in Boston are a woman in her 30s, one woman in her 60s, one man in his 40s, one man in his 50s and one man in his 60s.The BPHC also confirmed that these patients do not require hospitalization and are self-quarantining at home and that they did have a direct connection to the Biogen conference.The DPH announced five presumptive positive COVID-19 cases Saturday, three of which had a direct connection to Biogen's employee conference, one with recent international travel and a fifth case for whom there is no current known linkage to the Biogen conference or foreign travel.With Sunday's release, 23 of the presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 identified in Massachusetts are associated with the Biogen employee meeting held in late February. As of Sunday's announcement, Middlesex County has 10 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19. Norfolk County has seven presumptive cases and Berkshire County has one presumptive case.The risk of COVID-19 to the general public in Massachusetts remains low at this time, according to state health officials.There are special ambulatory units set up at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital specifically for COVID-19 testing. Testing in those units, however, is only allowed for a defined group of patients, according to a statement released by the hospitals and Partners HealthCare."The special ambulatory units set up at BWH and MGH to screen for COVID-19 are testing a defined group of patients who have been determined to have had an exposure to someone with coronavirus as well as those who are at risk according to criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," the statement reads. "We understand that many people are eager to be screened, but at this time COVID-19 testing is not open to members of the general public. Individuals who have questions about whether they should be tested should contact their primary care providers who can work with public health officials to determine whether testing is indicated."The 27 presumptive positive cases in Massachusetts are reported based on local testing but are still awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.More information from the DPH on COVID-19 can be found by clicking this link.