Published in the April 2, 2020 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — In a joint meeting held via teleconference last night, the Wakefield and Melrose Boards of Health were updated on the latest local developments related to COVID-19.

Ruth Clay, Health Director for both communities, noted that two deaths have been reported in Wakefield. Both of those individuals were in their 90s and had underlying conditions. She also reported that Melrose experienced its first COVID-19 death yesterday, a man in his 90s with underlying conditions. 

There have been 28 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wakefield, Clay reported, with an age range of 19 to 91.

In Melrose, there have been 34 confirmed cases, with the patients ranging in age from 23 to 93.

Clay said that two to four new cases are reported in the two communities every day and she did not believe that the peak of the pandemic had been reached yet.

She noted that about 20 nurses, including Wakefield and Melrose school nurses, have been working with Public Health Nurse Karen Cronin on “contact tracing” – tracking down people who have been in direct contact with COVID-19 patients. Contact tracing improves chances of early diagnosis and treatment and can shed light on how the disease is spread. The nurses have also been clearing cases of those who are finished with their quarantines.

Clay said that this work has been ongoing, seven days a week.

She also noted that the Health Department has received $100,000 from the state to be used primarily for isolation and quarantine of people who cannot be quarantined at home. She said that currently, the Health Department has contracted with the Sheraton Four Points on Audubon Road for eight rooms to be used for this purpose. At present, Clay said that there are two Wakefield residents and one Melrose resident under quarantine at the hotel.

Clay said that both Health Department administrative assistants (for Wakefield and Melrose) have been working from home and monitoring incoming voicemails, emails and other communications. All questions are forwarded to Clay for follow-up.

She also updated the boards on the Farmland situation. She said that the popular Wakefield grocery store was closed yesterday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. That employee works in the back of the store, Clay said, and had no contact with the public or with surfaces in the public area of the store.

Still, Clay noted, a deep cleaning of the entire store was done yesterday. The infected employee and one other co-worker who had contact with her are quarantined at home for 14 days.

Farmland was expected to re-open today and Clay said that there was no reason for the store not to be open. There is no reason for people not to support local businesses, she added.

Regarding testing, Clay said that Melrose-Wakefield Hospital is having its COVID-19 testing done by Tufts Medical Center and is getting results in 24-48 hours.

Wakefield Board of Health Chair Laurel Gourville expressed concern that Clay, Public Health Nurse Cronin and the other nurses were working seven days a week.

Clay said that she and Cronin were working all day, every day, but the other nurses, like the school nurses, were not spending all day on the COVID-19 effort. Many were also working from home on their school-related duties, she said.

Clay said that she thought the 12-hour days, seven days a week were easing up and weekends tend to be less intense.

Melrose Board of Health member Maurine Garipay, who is a registered nurse, offered to assist if needed.

Clay said that the team of nurses working on the effort “are super dedicated and want to make a difference.”

Clay told the boards that she is on seven conference calls a week with the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Health and other agencies in an effort to keep up with the latest information. She said that she is also in close contact with the heads of Health Departments in nearby communities.

Gourville expressed concerns about people’s mental health and ability to cope with the stress of the current situation. She also worried that substance abuse support groups are unable to meet during the current social distancing rules. She floated the idea of each community producing video PSAs on the subject of mental health during the current crisis

Wakefield Board of Health member Candace Linehan said that while out for a jog, she identified several construction sites that were still active and workers were not practicing social distancing at them.

Clay said that the governor’s shutdown order does not cover construction sites but said that she would visit those sites and remind workers to stay six feet apart.

Clay said that both Wakefield and Melrose would continue to report the number of cases in each community. She said that there was some confusion last week when local Health Departments were instructed by the state not to report cases by community for privacy reasons. It was later clarified that that was guidance and not an order, Clay said, and both Wakefield and Melrose would resume reporting cases.