Nearly a year since the first warning that COVID-19, the disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus, was advancing across the globe, two of the three towns that make up the Tri-Town area have slipped into the ‘red’ zone, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. With state and federal agency modeling indicating the United States is in for a long difficult slog through winter, local governments have begun to cancel popular programs in the name of safety, while public schools stay the course for now.
Mattapoisett received notification of its upgraded infectious status on October 23, prompting Town Administrator Mike Lorenco to immediately send out a press release informing the public of the change to a red community.
“The Town would like to inform the public that Mattapoisett has been upgraded to a RED community on the State’s COVID risk assessment map,” Lorenco wrote. The message goes on to say the change establishes the town’s high risk for disease transmission and that overall the there are now 77 communities in the Commonwealth with increased rates of confirmed infections.
According to Lorenco, the status change “highlights the need for residents to be vigilant in everyday measures to curb the spread of the virus, [such as] wearing face coverings properly (over the nose and enclosing the mouth) and practicing safe social distancing.” He said that business owners also need to remain in compliance with State orders.
In a follow-up, Lorenco said that after early voting it appears likely that access to the interior of the Town Hall will return to the March levels, with the public allowed inside by appointment only. Municipal employees could also be rotating schedules, allowing for stay-at-home working arrangements, he said.
The Mattapoisett Public Library sent out a notification on October 25 that a planned Mindfulness Meditation program that would have required masks, distancing, and a designated number of attendees was canceled due to the category change of the town. The library remains closed to the public, offering remote services only.
Also closed were both outdoor and indoor activities planned by the Mattapoisett Council on Aging, essentially closing that portion of the historic Center School building used by the COA as its headquarters. Exercise classes that had recently begun inside the Mattapoisett Congregational Church hall in a partnership with the COA were also halted, leaving many senior citizens searching for ways to keep up healthy movement on their own.
On October 21, Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson sent an email to the entire district. In it he wrote that a fourth case within the Tri-Town school districts, at Center School, had been confirmed. It was the first case for this elementary school and the fourth case reported in a Tri-Town school. Nelson wrote that the person had not been in the school since October 19. Contact tracing had been implemented and no close contacts had yet been identified. Barring any further confirmed cases, “The Board of Health is not recommending that we make any changes to our current hybrid learning model and we will be following their recommendation,” Nelson wrote, acknowledging that confirmed cases had been anticipated as the school year advanced towards the winter months.
October 25 brought a fresh press release from ORR when a fifth Tri-Town school district case was confirmed on the Old Rochester Regional campus. That individual’s status was confirmed on October 24 and the person had not been in the school since October 23. Contact tracing identified one close contact, the release noted. That contact is now in self-quarantine. Nelson stated that all junior and senior high schools are cleaned every day at the close of school and throughout the day as needed.
Sippican Elementary School in Marion represents two of the five cases now confirmed. As Nelson had stated in all five confirmed cases, schools were being cleaned according to established standards on a daily basis, and he continued to urge everyone to practice good hygiene, wear face coverings, and practice social distancing.
Rochester joined Mattapoisett on the same day, entering the red zone as designated by the DPH.
During the Tri-town selectmen’s meeting held on October 22, Rochester Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar said that Rochester would be reviewing the flow of persons entering the Town Hall and other municipal buildings and implementing more opportunities for town employees to work from home, including the installation of new telecommunications systems. On October 27, Szyndlar told The Wanderer, “Even though we are currently red according to the state formula, … we only have two cases in town. No new restrictions have been implemented for Town Hall/Annex as we are still open by appointment only. The intercom systems have been installed in both Town Hall and Annex.”
There is a slice of good news for those wishing to utilize more services from their local library, as the Joseph H. Plumb Library located in Rochester has opened, if but a crack. According to Library Director Gail Roberts and Szyndlar, plans to open the library by appointment were moving forward. Up to eight people are allowed inside at one time, and each appointment may last up to 30 minutes. “We sanitize the computer after each use,” Roberts stated.
While Marion is still listed in the gray category for low transmission rates, it was discussed at the last Board of Health meeting that there were concerns over youngsters gathering together without masks and congregating in close-knit groups. Health Agent Dave Flaherty said during the October 20 meeting of the Marion Board of Health that he was following up with the Police Department. One complaint of masks not being worn in a restaurant was also under investigation.
Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais reported that Marion had reached 22 confirmed cases, two of which were still active.
Marion Council on Aging Director Karen Gregory told The Wanderer that the COA is offering some senior movement classes inside the building, but that masks are required along with distancing. Participants must pre-register and the number of people participating is limited, depending on the type of class being offered.
By Marilou Newell