BOURNE – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito today joined Massachusetts National Guard Adjutant Major General Gary W. Keefe to tour the ongoing work to establish a new Field Medical Station at Joint Base Cape Cod in Buzzards Bay. The administration also announced expanded COVID-19 response efforts reporting data to include statewide hospital capacity and PPE distribution.
Cape Cod Field Medical Station: The Joint Base Cape Cod Field Medical Station supports the Administration’s strategy to increase hospital bed capacity for COVID-19 patients across the Commonwealth through the development of five regional medical facilities. Cape Cod Healthcare serves as the field hospital’s local health care partner and will manage the facility, which will house 94 beds and expects to admit patients beginning next Monday, April 20.
Medical stations, like the one being deployed to Cape Cod, are required to set up in facilities of at least 40,000 square feet to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and include beds, supplies and a cache of medicine for basic care. Alternate medical sites like this one are in place to support existing hospital capacity in the region and do not provide care for walk-in patients.
Expanded COVID-19 Response Reporting: To support ongoing preparations for a surge in COVID-19 cases, Baker-Polito Administration today announced the expansion of COVID-19 response reporting to include statewide hospital capacity and PPE distribution data.
- Testing: Daily test reporting data, including number of positive cases, can already be found at this link at 4:00 PM each day.
- Hospital Capacity: Also at 4:00 PM each day, the Command Center will report hospital bed occupancy and availability as reported by Massachusetts hospitals atthis link.
- PPE Distribution: Additionally, PPE distribution reports will be posted each day by 4:00 PM, and can be found here.
The Baker-Polito Administration will continue to update the public on developments related to COVID-19. Residents can visit www.mass.gov/covid19 for the latest information, call 2-1-1 with questions, and text “COVIDMA” to 888-777 to subscribe to text-alert updates.
