Mayor Paul Heroux had good news for the fire and police departments Tuesday, especially with one firefighter already testing positive for coronavirus and two others in quarantine.
He said the city bought 4,000 protective masks for its first responders and they are expected to arrive in two to three weeks from companies in New Jersey and California.
Heroux said the supply includes the much sought after N95 and surgical masks. The news came as the city reported 39 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 37 on Monday. One person in the city died Sunday after contracting the virus.
Meanwhile, Sturdy Memorial Hospital reported that it had 12 patients with confirmed cases of coronavirus with one of those 12 in the intensive care unit.
Another 27 admitted patients are “under investigation,” according to numbers supplied by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association on Tuesday.