Published in the March 26, 2020 edition.

WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Health Department has been informed of additional cases of COVID-19 among Wakefield residents, bringing the current total to seven. The number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts also continues to rise. As of March 25, the state total was 1838. This is an increase of 679 from the previous day.

The Wakefield cases are a mix of people who had direct contact with a person who was positive, as well as community acquired, (i.e., no known contact with a person who is positive). We will keep the total case count on our COVID-19 info hub, wakefield.ma.us/covid-updates.

Emergency personnel and first responders are continuing to assist residents using additional precautions to keep their staff safe and healthy. The lobby of Wakefield’s Public Safety Building is now only open for emergency purposes. If residents have a situation that can be resolved over the phone by speaking with a police officer, they should call the business line at 781-245-1212. Residents should continue to use 911 for all emergencies and medical calls.

Social distancing is critical in stopping the spread of the virus. But these times of uncertainty can cause great stress and anxiety. The Health Department reminds residents that we must care for our mental health in addition to our physical health. The following resources are available via phone or web.

Personal
mental
health:

• Interface Referral Program: Referral service to connect Wakefield residents to mental health support. Many counselors are now working through telehealth communication. Call 1-888-244-6843, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Interface also offers online resources.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress Helpline: Provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support. Call 1-800-985-5990 to connect with trained crisis counselors. Text with a live counselor by texting TalkWithUs to 66746 for English or Hablanos for Spanish.

• Veterans Crisis Line: Free, confidential resource for veterans in crisis, including veterans not registered with the VA. Dial 800.273.8255 and press 1 to talk to someone or text 838255 to connect with a qualified VA responder.

• Samaritans Hotline: The helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-877-870-4673. Services are free, confidential, and anonymous.

Substance
use
and
recovery:

• Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline: A public resource for finding licensed and approved substance use treatment and recovery services. Call 800.327.5050 to get help, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

• Alcoholics Anonymous Online Intergroup: Directory of online audio/video meetings 7 days per week.

• Narcotics Anonymous: Online meetings in various time zones using multiple platforms.

• Herren Project Live: Online support groups and recovery meetings moderated by trained clinicians.

• In The Rooms: Free weekly online meetings for those recovering from addiction and related issues.

Family
and
support
networks:

• Al-Anon Family Groups: Electronic meetings for anyone affected by alcoholism in a family member or friend.

• Learn to Cope: Online support forum open to families, friends, and loved ones who have someone in their lives who is struggling with addiction.

• Allies in Recovery: Online support for families dealing with a loved one’s addiction, using the evidence-based CRAFT method (Community Reinforcement and Family Training); free for Massachusetts residents.