Public Health Nurse Kathleen Downey was so impressed with the job that Tabor Academy did in bringing its students back to campus last weekend, that she wanted to make sure Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail and Assistant Town Administrator Judy Mooney were there to see it, too.
“I had Judy and Jay come in Monday and look at how a drive-through is done. I was there for four days and I don’t think I saw a backup. It went very well,” Downey told the Marion Board of Health during its Tuesday afternoon Zoom meeting.
In a drive-through format in which “nobody got out of their cars,” Downey summarized the back-to-school process in which Tabor faculty and staff came back on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week and went through COVID-19 screening and training.
Students then poured in through the weekend and into Monday, receiving COVID-19 screening upon arrival and were encouraged to take flu shots. Downey reported 308 flu shots were administered over the four days via the Vaccine for Children program.
“That’s double what we did there last year,” she said, noting how students were immediately quarantined in their rooms until their COVID-19 test results came back.
Downey reported that one student was questioned and sent home for quarantine.
Tabor moved its health services to what had been the admissions office, where the school can now quarantine a student for 14 days apart from the “healthy sick” (those ailing but not suspected for COVID-19). “This gives them a lot more flexibility because they have different areas (where students can be safely treated),” she said.
Downey, who is working beyond her original retirement date to accommodate her replacement Lori Desmarais, is concerned about workspace challenges that will greet the new public health nurse when Desmarais reports for work on Tuesday, September 8.
“It seems as though others will have keys to the nurse’s office… because of confidential materials that others shouldn’t have access to.” Downey said she is concerned. She said the new public health nurse’s office is substantially smaller than the old office. “I don’t think it’s possible for Lori to have another person in there with her.”
Downey, who has been working from home and in the community, also noted that “Lori’s office does not have a phone yet; emails have not gone through.”
She also pointed to ongoing issues with personal protective equipment; Sippican School has KN-version facemasks but not the preferred N95 masks. Downey said that after attending Department of Public Health meetings that some school districts are requiring N95 masks in order to reopen.
Still dealing with a PPE deficit due to a large backorder of materials from the vendor McKesson, Marion is being asked by that vendor to accept substitute items. Downey called them “little things but they’re big things… needles for flu clinics.”
Downey said all pre-K-12 students are to be vaccinated for flu by December 31. Over the last few years Marion has used 200 doses, but Downey increased the request to 425 doses.
Finally, Downey reported having filed a report for the former health district (with Rochester). If the report gets kicked back, Downey said she did her best and “won’t do it again.”
Desmarais, who participated on the Zoom meeting, said she had met with Fire Chief Brian Jackvony and hopes soon to set up dates for a flu clinic.
In his Health Agent report, Dave Flaherty was happy to report no beach closures this year, having taken his last sample on Monday, the day before the meeting.
He reported that Marion remains in the low-risk category for both EEE and West Nile virus, while Rochester and Wareham are rated high for EEE and Carver and Middleboro critical. He reminded listeners that Plymouth County Mosquito Control will spray yards and is available at 781-585-5450.
There have been complaints about people not covering their noses with their masks. “I’ve gone in and reminded them to wear it correctly,” said Flaherty, who also reported having worked on the database for denitrification systems that Marion will eventually outsource to Barnstable County.
Board of Health member John Howard wanted to get the word out that Marion is looking for new members to its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Flaherty said CERT is in a holding pattern with no training at this time, but Howard said, “I think this should be a focus of the next few months of our board.” Board of Health member Dot Brown emphasized that CERT no longer includes the word “medical,” opening up the potential for those interested in training.
Flaherty also reported on a letter sent a week ago to 33 Pitcher Street due to a complaint of trash and unregistered vehicles. Howard said the location has “been a problem for quite a while.”
Before Chairperson Dr. Ed Hoffer, busy driving home from his practice in Boston, was able to access the Zoom meeting, Brown and Howard voted to accept Hoffer’s draft of a job description for a medical advisor who would report to the Board of Health.
“I think it’s well written and covers the important responsibilities,” said Howard who, like Hoffer, is a physician. The day is expected when the Board of Health will not have a doctor as a voting member.
Hoffer also authored job descriptions for the public health agent and public health nurse, prompting Flaherty to say, “Those are excellent job descriptions.” Howard agreed, and he and Brown voted to accept those job descriptions as presented including changes.
For more information on CERT, contact Maureen Murphy at 508-748-3530.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, at 4:00 pm accessible via Zoom.
Marion Board of Health
By Mick Colageo