COVID-19 Information
9/25/2023: Covid-19 Test kits: every U.S. household may place an order to receive four free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to your home,
or more information click link here: https://www.covid.gov/tests
** MASKS ARE OPTIONAL IN ALL MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS IN STOW **
STOW COVID-19 DATA AS REPORTED BY MASS DPH 4/20/2023
CURRENT COVID-19 CASE COUNT IN STOW - 6*
CURRENT PERCENT POSITIVITY RATES: Stow: 8.51%*- Middlesex County: 3.94%*- State: 3.59%*
* The above data was collected from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 Dashboard “City & Town Data”. Case numbers represent the case counts for the past two (2) weeks, as reported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on 4/20/2023. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 Dashboard can be found at COVID-19 Response Reporting | Mass.gov. This data was not independently collected by the Local Board of Health.
COVID-19 Travel Information
Free COVID-19 Treatment Available
Easy, Free Care for COVID-19
Nashoba Associated Boards of Health COVID-19 Information
Using A COVID-19 Self-Test: Best Practices for the General Public
Where to Get Tested
Free COVID At-Home Test Kits
COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance for the General Public
CURRENT COVID-19 VACCINATION DATA IN STOW*:
AGE GROUP (YEARS) | POPULATION | AT LEAST ONE DOSE PER CAPITA | PRIMARY SERIES COMPLETED PER CAPITA | BOOSTED AFTER 9/1/2022 PER CAPITA |
| 0-4 | 375 | 41% | 34% | 28% |
| 5-11 | 649 | 72% | 68% | 29% |
12-15 | 389 | >95% | 88% | 33% |
16-19 | 350 | >95% | >95% | 42% |
20-29 | 506 | >95% | >95% | 30% |
30-49 | 1,694 | 94% | 86% | 35% |
50-64 | 1,874 | >95% | 90% | 43% |
65-74 | 722 | >95% | >95% | 82% |
75+ | 615 | >95% | >95% | 69% |
TOTAL POPULATION | 7,174 |
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MIDDLESEX COUNTY CUMULATIVE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH FULL PRIMARY SERIES (but no bivalent booster) - 53%*
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CUMULATIVE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A BIVALENT BOOSTER - 35%
MASSACHUSETTS CUMULATIVE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH AT LEAST ONE DOSE - 97%*
MASSACHUSETTS CUMULATIVE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A BIVALENT BOOSTER - 29%
*Local vaccination data was collected from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Weekly COVID-19 Municipality Vaccination Data. Vaccination rates represent the percentage of individuals who have received their first dose, full primary series, and a bivalent booster, as reported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on 4/19/2023. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Weekly COVID-19 Municipality Vaccination Data can be found at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccination-data-and-updates#weekly-covid-19-municipality-vaccination-data-. County and state vaccination data was collected from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Report, which can be found at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccination-data-and-updates#weekly-covid-19-vaccination-dashboard-. This data was not independently collected by the Local Board of Health.
COVID Self-Test Distribution did not include Stow. For the complete list of communities receiving the self-test kits, please click here. Kits may be purchased in pharmacies as availability increases.
MA COVID-19 Vaccination Phases
March 30, 2022: Baker-Polito Administration Announces Availability of Second COVID-19 Booster Dose for Residents 50 and Older and Immunocompromised Individuals
December 21, 2021: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Winter Advisory Regarding Face Coverings
February 4, 2021: Baker-Polito Administration Awards Nearly $174 Million in Grants to 4,043 Additional Small Businesses for COVID Relief, Increases Capacity Limits for Businesses and Other Activities
Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) - How to Protect Yourself & Others
Get Vaccinated
- Authorized COVID-19 vaccines can help protect you from COVID-19 and you should get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can.
- If you not fully vaccinated, and aged 2 or older, you should wear a mask in indoor public places.
- In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings.
- In areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
- People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated. They should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask, until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.
- If you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area Stay 6 feet away from others
- Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
- Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from other people.
- Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
- Being in crowds like in restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters puts you at higher risk for COVID-19.
- Avoid indoor spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors as much as possible.
- If indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover coughs and sneezes
- If you are wearing a mask: You can cough or sneeze into your mask. Put on a new, clean mask as soon as possible and wash your hands.
- If you are not wearing a mask:
- Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
- Throw used tissues in the trash.
- Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Clean and disinfect
- Clean high touch surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- If someone is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19, disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Use a household disinfectant product from EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) according to manufacturer’s labeled directions.
- If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Monitor your health daily
- Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
- Stay home if you’re not feeling well and consider getting tested if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
- Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.
Contact Tracing
- If you receive a call from the Contact Tracing Collaborative (CTC) or your Local Board of Health (LBOH) please answer or return the call; they will provide instructions on Isolation and Quarantine designed to prevent disease spread. Calls from the CTC uses the prefix 833 and 857 and your phone will say the call is from “MA COVID Team.” Calls will be made daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Your LBOH number will start with 978 772- and they will leave a message with contact information.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
If you are looking to get vaccination you can visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s website for a location near you: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/
If you need to get a COVID-19 test you can visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s website for a location near you: https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing.
The DPH publishes COVID-19 data for the State and the data can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting
01/20/2021 - Questions about vaccines
NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER IN PLACE REQUIRING EARLY CLOSING FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES AND ACTIVITIES
Revised order requiring Face Coverings - In effect beginning November 6, 2020
Update on COVID-19
01/04/2021 - Middlesex County: Confirmed Cases of COVID-19: 78,663
01/04/2021 - Stow's positivity percent in the last 14-days: 3.61%
12/31/2020 - Stow's total case count: 128 - Case count in the last 14 days: 20
11-16-2020 - Town of Stow Shares Guidance for Celebrating Thanksgiving Amid COVID-19
MassSupport - Statewide Assistance
Tips to make COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine easier
COVID-19 Travel Information/State Travel Order
Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents (who do not meet an exemption) entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders.
Travelers from COVID-19 lower-risk States are not required to fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and do not need to quarantine. States are included on the list based on meeting two criteria: average daily cases per 100K below 6 AND positive test rate below 5%, both measured as a 7-day rolling average. To view a map of the current state classifications, click here.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health publicly shares positive case numbers and deaths by county on a daily basis and by city and town on a weekly basis. The Town continues to closely monitor evolving developments related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Residents are urged to follow the recommendations regarding good hygiene and personal action issued by the CDC and the state Department of Public Health.
COVID-19 - How to Protect Yourself
Resources to protect your home
Guidance for residents (Preventive Measures)
Practice everyday preventive actions now. Remind everyone in your household of the importance of practicing everyday preventive actions that can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:
Stay SAFER at home. Residents over the age of 65 and those with underlying health conditions are urged to stay home unless needing to go out for essentials (food, medicine, urgent medical care). All residents are advised to leave home only for healthcare, worship, and permitted work, shopping, and outdoor activities or other activities currently allowed in the Governor's phased reopening with necessary precautions.
Maintaining emotional health and well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak is important. Please utilize these resources and tips to help boost emotional health, mental health, and well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak.
If you need to go out, practice physical distancing, keeping 6 feet or more of distance between yourself and others. Wear a face covering when going out in public. Follow the guidelines for use.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When caring for an ill household member, have the ill person wear a mask, when possible. Wear a mask yourself when providing care.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your arm.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles). If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. For disinfection, a list of products with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained by the American Chemistry Council Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC), is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Products. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
The information above has been provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. To view more information, please refer to the CDC and DPH websites for more information.