GARDNER — The lab for Heywood Healthcare has now tested over 144,000 COVID-1 test specimens since the start of the pandemic, according to company president and CEO Win Brown. Brown, in his weekly briefing on Friday, Jan. 28, said the overall rate of positivity in Heywood’s service area now stands at nine percent, compared to the state average of 4.07 percent.
“Our seven-day positivity at Heywood testing,” he continued, “is 32.77 percent, three times the state average, at 11.4. So, were seeing some level of decline, but these are still very high rates. Omicron clearly is much easier to contract than Delta, so please make sure you’re paying attention to all the ways to stay safe.”
He said it’s especially important to take suggested precautions in light of the fact people are spending more time indoors due to snow and cold winter temperatures.
“At Heywood Healthcare, our total COVID-positive patients are 28 right now,” said Brown. “So, the numbers are down, but if you were thinking back to the beginning of the pandemic, these numbers would have scared the devil out of us.
“We are working very hard to take care of our community. Please be patient when you come to our ER, our urgent care. Know that COVID-positive patients cannot have visitors – or any of our patients at this point in time – unless there’s special circumstances. So, we appreciate you treating our staff with kindness and respect, even if you’re very frustrated with the situation. We’re frustrated as well, but we’ve got a lot of work we have to get done to make sure that we care for everyone.”
According to the state’s Weekly COVID-19 Municipality Vaccination Report for Thursday, Jan. 27, the vaccination rate for Athol/Phillipston continues to tick up about one percent per week and now stands at 70 percent of eligible residents now having at least one shot of the vaccines available. The North Quabbin community with the highest vaccination rate — by far — is Erving with a rate of 90 percent, according to the state. Rates in other local communities include: Gardner, 79 percent; New Salem, 76 percent; Orange, 69 percent; Petersham, 75 percent; Royalston, 69 percent, and Templeton, 65 percent.
Winchendon continues to lag far behind, with only 62 percent of those eligible getting the jab.
Brown had some good news to announce.
“(Heywood) is one of the early hospitals that has partnered with RIP Medical Debt,” he said. “We are collaborating with them to eliminate $800,000 of patient medical debt that our patients have accumulated over time. This represents1,100 Heywood Healthcare patients, and over the next couple of weeks, residents from Gardner and the surrounding communities who are benefitting from this will be receiving communication directly from RIP Medical Debt. So, if you get something from RIP Medical, it is not junk mail — you actually do want to open this.
“It’s a good news thing amongst all the challenging news around us. It’s a fabulous thing that Heywood and our trustees have done to support our community.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com