Swansea, MA COVID-19 Resources and Info

Official Town Website

Breakthrough Case Review Finds 97% of COVID-19 Cases in Vaccinated Individuals Don’t Result in Severe Illness

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The following is a release from the Baker-Polito Administration:

BOSTON –– Today the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a review of breakthrough COVID-19 cases in vaccinated Massachusetts residents and found nearly 97% of all breakthrough cases in the Commonwealth have not resulted in hospitalization or death. Additionally, the review found unvaccinated residents are five times more likely to become infected than fully vaccinated residents (two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson) and unvaccinated residents are 31 times more likely to become infected than fully vaccinated residents who have received a booster. 

The review also found that 99.9% of breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated people under the age of 60 did not result in death. Among the breakthrough cases for residents over the age of 60, 97% did not result in death. No deaths have been reported in breakthrough cases among those under age 30.

“The data are clear. This review shows that fully vaccinated people in Massachusetts have near-universal protection from severe illness and death and that boosters are demonstrating even stronger protection from COVID,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “Amid the season of gathering indoors and the emerging Omicron variant, the time to get vaccinated and boosted is now. It is the best gift of protection for yourself and your loved ones.”

“Vaccination continues to be the most effective tool we have against Omicron and all COVID-19 variants,” said Acting DPH Commissioner Margret Cooke. “The data indicates that fully vaccinated and boosted individuals are well protected from severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death, and the Department of Public Health strongly urges all residents to get vaccinated and, when appropriate, get a booster.”

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Town of Swansea Shares Updated COVID-19 Guidance from CDC Amid Uptick in Cases

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Residents Urged to Get Vaccinated to Slow Spread of Delta Variant

Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein, Public Health Nurse Emily Lachance and Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Eric Hajder wish to share the latest safety recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases within Swansea.

The Swansea Board of Health reports a 200% increase in COVID-19 cases within the community since July 14. Over the course of July 1 through July 14 there were nine confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 within the community. Since July 15, the number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed with there currently being 27 confirmed or probable cases.

“Over the past couple of weeks, the Town of Swansea has experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 cases,” Town Administrator Aronstein said. “Out of an abundance of caution and in line with best health practices, we recommend that our residents wear face masks while indoors to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and its Delta variant.”

Residents who have not already done so are urged to get vaccinated. Doing so greatly reduces the risk of significant illness from COVID-19, including the Delta variant. To find a location where you can be vaccinated, visit vaxfinder.mass.gov.

According to public health reports, only 59% of eligible individuals ages 12+ in Bristol County are fully vaccinated. Swansea’s current vaccination rate is 61% with more than 85% of senior residents ages 65+ vaccinated, but only 42% of 12-18 year old residents vaccinated.

Virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the United States continue to be among unvaccinated individuals. The most significant levels of spread and most severe cases of illness and death associated with COVID-19 — including Delta variant cases — are occurring in places with low vaccination rates. Additionally, vaccinated individuals represent a very small portion of total Delta variant transmissions.

The CDC announced on Tuesday, July 27, that it is recommending that those in “areas of substantial and high transmission” should wear a mask in indoor public settings, even if they are fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, Massachusetts is currently an area of moderate transmission, but communities in Bristol County are areas of substantial transmission. As such, residents in the Town of Swansea are strongly urged to wear a mask while in indoor public settings.

According to the CDC, the COVID-19 Delta variant is far more easily transmissible than the initial COVID-19 infection. The Delta variant has most recently surged to become the predominant variant – from less than 1% in May to over 80% of all U.S. COVID-19 cases in July.

The CDC and local officials encourage residents to get vaccinated and continue masking until they are fully vaccinated. Vaccinations will prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death relating to COVID-19, while also reducing the spread of the virus through communities.

The CDC also announced a recommendation for a universal indoor mask mandate for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, when schools return to full-time, in-person learning this fall.

To learn more about the Delta variant, click here.

 

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Town of Swansea Unveils New Waterfront Bathhouse at Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein is pleased to share the unveiling of the Town of Swansea’s new waterfront bathhouse.

The Town of Swansea hosted a ribbon cutting, recognition and dedication ceremony on Friday, June 18, in celebration of the town’s newly completec waterfront bathhouse at Swansea Town Beach.

To view the ceremony, click here.

“Today we are celebrating the culmination of the hard work from many individuals coming together to give back to their hometown,” Town Administrator Aronstein said. “Swansea is blessed with an excellent delegation at the State House, all of whom assisted us in working with the Baker-Polito administration to secure grant funding for this project…This building is a beautiful symbol of the Baker-Polito administration’s commitment to assisting cities and towns in the Commonwealth, it is a symbol of volunteerism and it is a symbol of what persistence and a little elbow grease can become.”

The bathhouse features public restrooms, foot showers, a water station and an office and conference room for lifeguards and other beach staff members to use. There are also outdoor showers on the property as well as a playground donated entirely by the Munro Family.

The total cost of the bathhouse project was approximately $1.45 million and the majority of the project was funded with a $1 million grant from the Seaport Economic Council, which was awarded to the town in 2015.

The Town of Swansea’s bathhouse project at Swansea Town Beach was spearheaded by the town’s Waterfront Revitalization Committee. The project spanned approximately 10 years, with the local committee working tirelessly to make it happen. State partners were also instrumental throughout the process  – especially Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

The Town of Swansea would like to thank the Waterfront Revitalization Committee, including Chris Sampson, Robert Medeiros, Colleen Brown, Kenneth Furtado, Carole Hyland, Fran Kelley and Steve Purdy, for their ongoing waterfront revitalization efforts. The Waterfront Revitalization Committee was first appointed in 2010 serving until the completion of the project, and its members are now the longest-serving appointed committee members in Swansea.

At the event, a welcome address was given by Town Administrator Aronstein and remarks followed from Sen. Michael Rodrigues, Rep. Patricia Haddad, Rep. Steven Howitt, Swansea Board of Selectmen Chairman Derek Heim, Waterfront Revitalization Committee Chairman Robert Medeiros and former Waterfront Revitalization Committee Chairman Chris Sampson.

“It is always extremely gratifying to see a project like this finally come to fruition. The restoration of Swansea Town Beach is a true testament to the community’s hard work and dedication, and I am honored to have worked alongside such wonderful public servants,” Sen. Rodrigues said.

Added Chairman Heim, “With any community endeavor, though, comes the dedication and commitment to harness its reality. For this project, there was nothing short of a collective effort to achieve the greatest possible outcome.”

Also in attendance were members of the Swansea Board of Selectmen, members of the Waterfront Revitalization Committee, members of the Swansea Advisory and Finance Committee, the Munro Family and Nancy Bernier. Project contractors including Shannon Khoury from Compass Group Architects and Stephen Kelleher and Chuck Fougere from Stephen Kelleher Architects were in attendance as well.

 

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Towns of Somerset and Swansea To Host Vaccination Clinics as Part of Regional Vaccination Collaborative

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Regional Vaccine Collaboration Between Somerset, Swansea, Fall River, Attleboro and Taunton

Somerset Town Administrator Richard Brown, Swansea Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein and Somerset/Swansea Public Health Nurse Emily Lachance are pleased to announce that the Towns of Somerset and Swansea will host upcoming vaccination clinics as part of a regional vaccination collaborative.

The Towns of Somerset and Swansea will once again host COVID-19 vaccination clinics beginning on Wednesday, May 5. Clinics will be held on a weekly basis every Wednesday at the Somerset Fire Department, 475 County St, Somerset.

The weekly Wednesday clinic is a part of the regional collaboration between the Towns of Somerset, Swansea, Fall River, Attleboro and Taunton. As part of the regional collaboration, each community will host a respective clinic in their city or town on an assigned day.

“After weeks of close collaboration with the Fall River, Attleboro and Taunton communities and the Department of Public Health, we are now prepared to host our first clinic next week,” Public Health Nurse Lachance said. “These upcoming clinics will provide not only our residents but people from throughout the region with closer vaccination sites for them to utilize in any of the five communities.”

At the Towns of Somerset and Swansea’s clinics, individuals 18 years old and older who live, work or study in Massachusetts will be eligible to receive the Moderna vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is subject to change based on vaccine availability.

The clinic will be hosted in a drive-through manner with individuals entering into the Somerset Fire Station through the rear of the building using the entrance off of Clifford M. Holland Road.

“We are excited to welcome residents from across the state to our drive-through clinic beginning next week,” Somerset Town Administrator Brown said. “With our drive-through set-up, we will be able to ensure that social distancing guidelines are being followed while efficiently getting patients in and out.  Additionally, this set-up provides an alternative to the previously existing clinics in which residents need to visit large indoor sites.”

The clinic will begin with approximately 300 appointments per day, spanning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

At the clinic, vaccines will be administered by appointment only. Individuals are encouraged to pre-register for an appointment with the state’s vaccine registration system. To sign up for the state’s vaccine registration system, click here, or call 2-1-1 for assistance with registering.

When pre-registering with the state’s vaccine registration system, patients will receive a notification when an appointment is available in their area and will be given instructions on how to proceed/delay should they choose.

“Hosting a regional clinic will once again allow the Towns of Somerset and Swansea to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to those in our region in an easily accessible manner,” Swansea Town Administrator Aronstein said. “I would like to thank all town officials who worked with the state and our surrounding communities to plan out the logistics of the clinics.”

Anyone with additional questions can contact Public Health Nurse Lachance at elachance@town.swansea.ma.us, or call 508-415-7129.

 

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