I hope all this gear/equipment being brought into MA (according to governor updates and news reports) are making their way West of 495; There are actual communities that exist past that route. All of the Commonwealth is not located East of 495.

GARDNER — COVID-19 numbers are creeping up, but the area is maintaining a lower rate than the state’s average for those testing positive for the novel coronavirus, according to Heywood Healthcare, which also indicates that it is starting to run low on scrubs and gowns.

By Tuesday morning, April 7, Heywood Healthcare reported a total of 120 positive cases of the virus so far. Five of those tested had indeterminate results, meaning they could not be determined as positive or negative. The rate of positive local cases in the health system is 16.5 percent, compared to the state’s 18.1 percent. At Heywood Hospital, there are six patients in-house who have tested positive for COVID-19. There are 10 patients under investigation.

Statewide as of Tuesday morning, there were about 76,000 tests collected, of which about 14,000 were positive. There have been about 260 deaths in Massachusetts.

President and CEO of Heywood Healthcare Win Brown said during his morning update Tuesday that anyone now entering the health system’s facilities must be wearing a mask. He added that scarves and bandanas are acceptable. If someone checks in without a mask, one will be provided.

Brown asked all staff wearing scrubs to leave them behind so they can be washed, and requested that any staff members who have brought scrubs home to please bring them back. Isolation gowns are also running short.

“Given the pandemic, we are on an allocation for the number of scrubs that we get and the number of surgical gowns on a daily basis. So if you have anything sitting at home, it really needs to come back in because we are starting to run short on our shifts,” he said.