Minutes
Board of Health · from the Town's website · 1 page · 17 KB
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WINTHROP BOARD of HEALTH EMERGENCY MEETING August 26, 2020 6:30 PM REMOTE PARTICIPATION (A. Weins, Host) MINUTES Present: BOARD MEMBERS: Bill Schmidt, Chair; Astrid Weins, Vice Chair; Susan Maguire, Member. TOWN of WINTHROP: Meredith Hurley, Director Public Health and Clinical Services; Al Legee, Commissioner Inspectional Services. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Schmidt called the Board of Health meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. Meeting being recorded. PUBLIC COMMENT: None via Zoom chat or email. Note: Comments allowed at end of meeting. REVIEW of MINUTES: Chair Schmidt motioned to approve the Board of Health Minutes of August 6, 2020, seconded by A. Weins, approved unanimously. PURPOSE of MEETING: COVID-19 Town of Winthrop “High Risk” Issues – Possible Action Steps Town rate today was 9.9 per 100,000 down from 11.4 per 100, 000 last week. Rate calculation: # cases in 14 days divided by the population times 100,000. A rate > 8 per 100,000 represents potential spread. Onsite COVID-19 testing at the E.B. Newton began today Drive thru will be held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Walk-up: Tuesday and Thursday Turnout for testing has been steady; as of 5:00 pm today, 160 people had been tested. Massive campaign planned to encourage everyone to get tested (electronic signs, etc.); PSA; social media, daily updates; Robocall planned for tomorrow. Materials will be available via Google translate in English, French, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, etc. . Town’s PR firm is handling materials and creating info graphics that will be posted on social media. Roles of WPD and WFD on COVID Response Team: WPD: Outreach to isolated residents, and mental health intervention. Contact tracing. WFD: Back-up support for COVID-19 testing Demographics of newly infected are between 20-40 years of age, most likely occupational exposure, e.g., health care workers. Enforcement by WPD: Response team meeting with the state on Friday to discuss enforcement directives, e.g., CMR regulations governing citations; criminal vs. non- criminal complaints. WPD and ABCC visited 13 locations recently. NSE Conference declared Fall school athletics will be delayed to February-April. Commissioner Legee will be conducting a full inspection of Nick’s to assess compliance with COVID-19 directives. He also reported that landlords are starting to threaten tenants (e.g., shut off heat) despite the January 2021 eviction moratorium, and anticipates problems come winter. The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) work with the Collaborative is looking at Housing and M. Hurley is representing Winthrop. Commissioner Legee continues to monitor and fine daily for trash violations the property located at Shore Drive and Ocean Ave. Board of Health Chair Schmidt emailed Council President Boncore that the Board may consider mask mandates. Boncore not necessarily in favor. Mask Signage at athletic fields, courts, etc.: Signage is posted at Little League field and people are now wearing masks. Wear a Mask Campaign: Chair Schmidt will reach out to Councilor Demarco re: signage for parks, playgrounds, courts, etc. M. Hurley will consult with PR Firm. Educate the public. Action steps: Revisit at next BoH meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT: Shannon Poulos reported that there has been no change in the situation at 585 Shirley St, with rats now found across the street. Suggests more transparency such as more detailed information re: COVID-19 cases be shared with residents e.g., where cases are coming from (e.g., occupations). Estimates that 75% of people on Deer Island don’t wear masks. Karen Chavis reported that earlier today the playground at the Cummings School adjacent to the site of COVID testing, which was being filmed by Channel Five, shows a parent with children playing without masks. S. Maguire noted that the sign says the park is closed (Town neglected to remove when parks reopened). Adjournment: S. Maguire motioned to adjourn at 7:55 pm, seconded by A. Weins, Meeting adjourned at 7:55 pm. Respectfully submitted, Susan Maguire