State dedicates money to support local boards of health

Marylou Sudders, who heads up the Massachusetts Coronavirus Command Center, said the goal is to execute emergency contracts Tuesday.

LAST EVENING ALONG WITHCOMMISSIONER BURRELL I HELD ACONFERENCE CALL WITH THECOALITION FOR LOCAL PUBLICHEALTH, REPRESENTING THEMASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION FORPUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, MASSASSOCIATION OF HEALTH BOARDS,THE MASS HEALTH OFFICERSASSOCIATION, WESTERN MASS PUBLICHEALTH ASSOCIATION, THE MASSENVIRONMENT HEALTH ASSOCIATIONAND THE MASS PUBLIC HEALTHASSOCIATION TO DISCUSSDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDSAPPROPRIATED AND LAY OUT OURINITIAL PLANNING FOR LOCALBOARDS OF HEALTH.AS YOU HEARD THE GOVERNOR SAY,WE INTEND TO EXECUTE EMERGENCYCONTRACTS TO SUPPORT LOCALBOARDS OF HEALTH TODAY.TO THE 14 LARGEST MUNICIPALITIESAND THE 15 MASSACHUSETTS PUBLICHEALTH RESTRICTS.THIS REPRESENTS JUST ABOUT 50%OF OUR STATES POPULATION.WE HAD A FOLLOW-UP CALL TODAYWITH THE GROUP.I ASKED THEM TO HELP US TOADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THEREMAINING MUNICIPALITIES WHO DIDNOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE ANDTO GET THEM THE SUPPORT THEYNEED ASAP.THIS IS SORT OF UNUSUAL.USUALLY WHEN YOU CONTRACT IN THECOMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTSYOU PUT OUT A BID FOR PROPOSALSAND YOU HAVE TO INVITE BACK INPROPOSALS AND THEN YOU GOTHROUGH THE PROCESS OFSELECTION.WHAT WE DID TODAY WAS EMAIL OUTA SHORT CONTRACT ASKING THEM TOSIGN IT, SEND IT BACK TO US, WEWILL ISSUE THE FUNDS TODAYRETROACTIVE TO THE FIRST OFFEBRUARY AND THEN SUBMIT TO USADDITIONAL NEEDS.SO TODAY WAS A $5 MILLION DOWNPAYMENT FOR DEEDS.LET ME QUICKLY ADDRESS THE ISSUEOF LAB TESTING.THE ADDITION OF LAB TESTING ANDCHANGES IN CRITICAL PROTOCOLS ISMAKING A DIFFERENCE.COMMISSIONER BURRELL GO OVER THENUMBERS.AS YOU KNOW CLINICIANS CAN NOWSEND SPECIMENS DIRECTLY TO THELAB FOR TESTING.AS YOU’VE HEARD US OFTEN SAY WESTILL NEED MORE LABS APPROVED TOTEST EXPANDING TEST CAPACITY ISCRITICAL.THE COMMAND CENTER HASPRIORITIZED INCREASING TESTINGCAPACITY.WE ARE WORKING ALL AVENUES TORAPIDLY INCREASE TESTINGCAPACITY IN THE FACE OF EMERGINGISSUES.EARLIER TODAY I CONNECTED WITHTWO LOCAL TESTING COMPANIES ANDBOTH HAVE COMMITTED TO HELP THECOMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.I SPOKE PERSONALLY WITH THE CEOOF PERKINELMER AND THELEADERSHIP OF THERMO FISHER ANDJUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO WITH THEBRODY INSTITUTE.PROMISING AVENUES.THERE WILL BE MORE TO FOLLOW.WE BELIEVE WE CAN ESTABLISH THEBRODY INSTITUTE AS A STATEREFERENCE LAB AND ARE WORKING TOSUPPLY THEM WITH THERMO FISHERTEST KITS.THE INSTITUTE WOULD BE ABLE TOTEST ALMOST 1000 KIDS PER DAY.BUT PERKINELMER CEO HAS OFFEREDTO SUPPLY THE STATE LAB WITH ATESTING MACHINE AND SUPPLIESWITH ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FORALMOST 1000 TESTS PER DAY AND WEARE MATCHMAKING WITH BETWEEN --MATCHMAKING BETWEEN LOCALACADEMIC AND MEDICAL CENTERSMANY OF WHOM HAVE MACHINECAPACITY BUT VARIOUS SUPPLYSHORTAGES.THIS IS EXTRAORDINARILYIMPORTANT TO US IN ORDER TOINCREASE TESTING CAPACITY ACROSSTHE CO