Dozens of Western Massachusetts residents, including two city officials, are under quarantine after possible exposure to people diagnosed with coronavirus.

While the majority of cases in Massachusetts are tied to foreign travel, medical professionals in the Berkshires are confronting community spread of the virus.

Seven presumptive positive diagnoses of the disease, named COVID-19, have been reported in Berkshire County, the sole county in Western Massachusetts so far to report any cases. The total number of patients with the respiratory infection statewide rose to 92 on Tuesday, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. All but one of the cases are presumptive positive. Testing by the state public health is considered presumptive until confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control.

Five residents sought treatment at Berkshire Medical Center reporting severe flu-like symptoms starting March 1. The patients were admitted for treatment and remained hospitalized as recently as this week, the Boston Globe reported.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health waited to test the patients for about five days after they were admitted to the hospital, the Globe reported.

While caring for the patients, nurses and other staff at the hospital were potentially exposed, according to the Globe’s report. Nurses wore face masks but not eye shields and gowns, as recommended for medical professionals treating COVID-19 patients.

Hospital staff who came into contact with the patients have been furloughed for 14-days, a spokesperson for the medical center said.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents nurses at Berkshire Medical, said 70 employees are quarantined. Of the 70 staff members, 54 are nurses, the newspaper reported. Two additional people have tested positive since the five patients were admitted for treatment at the hospital.

North Adams Mayor Tom Bernard announced this week that he and City Councilor Jason LaForest would be isolating themselves after possible exposure. LaForest developed mild symptoms Tuesday morning, according to a statement from Bernard. The city officials will work from home pending test results.

The mayor said he and LaForest have an obligation to model best practices and follow instructions set out by public health officials. Bernard added that he has heard many people use the phrase “abundance of caution,” which guided his decision to self-isolate.

“As a father, nurse, and elected official, I take precautions for the transmission of and illness extremely seriously,” LaForest said in a statement shared by Bernard. “Hopefully my symptoms are related to a simple cold and not the COVID-19 virus."

Communities are taking steps to prevent further potential spread.

Barbara Malkas, superintendent of public schools in North Adams, canceled events, including field trips, workshops and seminars, through April 17. Classes and internal business will continue until further notice, according to Bernard.

School buildings in the city were disinfected over the weekend as well, and district employees will follow “heightened protocol, with a focus on high touch points,” the mayor said, adding that nurses at the Berkshire Public Health Alliance and other medical staffers are conducting contact investigations of cases of the illness.

North Adams city officials had a meeting Tuesday with representatives from Northern Berkshire EMS, which reported that first responders “will follow an updated set of dispatch and patient contact protocols,” according to Bernard.

“This means that the way that patients and caregivers interact with EMS staff may look different but will not cause delays in emergency response or the quality of care received from EMS,” the mayor said.

The community is working closely with the Regional Emergency Planning Committee as well to share information and best practices, according to the mayor.

“We understand that hearing news of cases of COVID-19 in our community will be unsettling for some residents and visitors,” Bernard said in his statement. “City and school district staff remain committed to providing a rational, measured, commonsense response.”

Roughly 400 have been tested as of Tuesday afternoon, state officials said. The commonwealth is receiving an additional 2,000 kits, expanding access to testing within Massachusetts.

Baker warned Tuesday that “more cases will be reported in the near future as more testing is done" due to the increase in availability of testing.

Middlesex County, Massachusetts’ most populated county, has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus patients, with 41 as of Tuesday. Norfolk has the second highest number: 22 cases. Suffolk County follows closely with 20. Worcester and Essex counties each have one case.

For the vast majority of people, the virus is not deadly. Older adults and people with underlying health concerns are the most at risk.

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