Final Weekend For State Outreach Workers In Framingham

FRAMINGHAM, MA — As coronavirus cases continue to increase in Framingham, a state outreach campaign that first came to the city in September will cease after this weekend.

On Friday, Framingham reported 147 new cases and three new deaths since Wednesday. On Thursday, the state reported Framingham was adding 80.6 new cases per day per 100,000 people, and that the citywide positive test rate had hit 8.7 percent — both higher figures compared to one week ago.

In early September, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that state Department of Public Health workers would begin visiting parts of Framingham on weekends to educate people about how to stay safe from the virus. Those workers have been in the city almost every weekend since handing out literature, speaking to business owners and distributing supplies like masks and sanitizer.

The state also recently closed two Stop the Spread testing sites in Framingham, consolidating into one site along Franklin Street with a higher testing capacity. Framingham has reopened one of the sites using its own federal stimulus money.

The final weekend's outreach will be as follows:

Saturday

• 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Business walk in Beaver Park and the downtown area to hand out flyers and distribute window signs and literature
• Noon to 4 p.m. — Care kit (educational materials, masks, and disinfectant wipes) distribution at the Cochituate Cooperative Homes, Labor Ready and Salvation Army.
• 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Care kit distribution at the Worker Center, 116 Concord St.

Sunday

• 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Business walk to salons and bakeries in downtown Framingham to distribute literature
• Noon to 4 p.m. — Care kit distribution at the Cochituate Cooperative Homes
• 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Care kit distribution at the Worker Center

Don't miss updates about precautions in your area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.