Stoughton Coronavirus Update: Cases Rise To 462

STOUGHTON, MA — There are 462 positive cases of the new coronavirus in Stoughton as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the latest numbers from local health officials.

More than 69,000 people in Massachusetts have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon, according to Massachusetts Department of Health data. According to the data, there have been 86 additional deaths, bringing to total number of deaths statewide to 4090. More than 6,300 people have contracted the virus in Norfolk County.

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There were 1,000 newly reported cases since data was released Monday afternoon, and 908 confirmed cases are currently in ICU.

Massachusetts residents will soon be required to wear a face covering if they are in public places where social distancing is not possible — including grocery and retail stores and public transportation. Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters Friday his executive order will go into effect May 6.

The order will not apply to children under the age of 2 or to those with medical exemptions. Anyone else not wearing will be subject to a $300 fine and could be denied entry into businesses.

Here are the latest updates from Stoughton:

Local Heroes

Stoughton High School Student Gaby Zola created a GoFundMe page and has raised tens of thousands of dollars to feed first responders. All the meals are coming from local eateries.Peg Carbone also spent her free time delivering food to Stoughton's food pantries.

SCHOOLS

The Stoughton Public Schools will be closed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. This includes all schools and school activities.

BUSINESSES

Not everything is closed in Stoughton because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many essential businesses are still open to provide services such as food take-out, eyecare and more. We've created a simple small business directory to help residents see what's open in Stoughton.
We put a call out to local businesses on Patch this week and asked them to update their status, give details on how you can continue to patronize them and to let the community know how they can best help during these challenging times. You can find the local guide here.

HOSPITALS

South Shore Health has set up a drive-thru tent at Union Point in Weymouth. Patients experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should call the screening line at 781-681-0365. Upon calling, patients will be screened over the phone. If a patient meets state and federal criteria for testing, an appointment will be scheduled.