Published in the January 22, 2021 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — Wakefield’s COVID numbers are “not good and are not getting better,” Health Director Ruth Clay told the Board of health at their Zoom meeting this week.

According to numbers posted yesterday on the town’s COVID-19 Dashboard, a total of 1,651 cases have been reported in Wakefield. Of those, the number of currently active cases is 237. The total number of recovered cases is 1,355. There have been 59 COVID-19 deaths in Wakefield. The town remains in the “red” on the state’s COVID map.

Clay said that there are no specific patterns, as the virus spread seems to be spreading among adults within households. She said that there is no evidence of spread traced to the schools. She noted that the schools have begun testing staff on a weekly basis and are seeing a positivity rate of about 3.5 percent.

She observed that the free public testing at the Square One Mall in Saugus appears to have shorter lines now that the holidays have passed. She said that she was tested there this week with no line.

Clay also reported on the recent vaccinations of first-responders. She noted local first-responders were vaccinated on Jan. 14,15 and 16 through the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition (a coalition of municipal health departments of Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Winchester and Wakefield). Over 900 vaccinations were administered to first-responders across the the six communities. Second vaccinations were scheduled for 28 days after the first shots.

Clay said that per state guidelines, the Health Department was waiting for Feb. 1 to continue with Phase 1 vaccinations. However, she said that the state this week gave to go-ahead to continue with  the rest of Phase 1 immediately. 

The problem, she said, was that all of the locally available vaccine has been used. She said that more vaccine has been ordered and is expected to ship on Monday and arrive by Wednesday, Jan. 27. The plan is to continue with Phase 1 vaccinations beginning on Thursday and continuing through the following Tuesday at various locations in the area. In Wakefield, the Health Department hopes to use the former Comverse Building at 200 Quannapowitt Parkway as the vaccination site for the completion of Phase 1, Clay said. The Wakefield dates will be Friday, Jan. 29 and Monday, Feb. 1.

Those eligible include home-based health care workers and health care workers doing non-COVID-facing care, including: dentists, dental students, dental hygienists and medical and nursing students. Other categories of medical professionals eligible under Phase 1 can be found on the state’s mass.gov web site. Anyone in the categories on the Phase 1 list can come to the upcoming clinics, Clay said.

When Phase 2 begins, it will start with those over 75 years old and anyone with two or more comorbidities. Clay recommended that the general public consult the mass.gov web site to find out when they can be vaccinated.

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The Board of Health conducted separate hearings this week for two local businesses appealing late charges on their annual dumpster permit fees. The $50 fee is for the calendar year and notices were emailed to all Dumpster owners in October, with multiple reminders issued in November and December. With a few exceptions, all renewal fees were received by the Health Department prior to the expiration date of Dec. 31, Clay told the board.

For those who do not pay on time, a late fee of $50 per day is assessed until payment is received, per Health Department regulations.

The two local businesses appealing their late fees were a local garden center and a local auto repair shop, which had accrued late fees of $650 and $700, respectively.

After some discussion, the Board of Health agreed to reduce the late fees in each case by one-half, although it was noted that that was not fair to those who paid on time. If the reduced amount is not paid within 30 days, the board voted, the full-late fee amount would be re-instated.

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The Board of health also held hearing on the application for a Bodyworks Establishment Permit for Ying Spa at 111 Albion St. Appearing via ZOOM was owner Ying Xiong. 

The names of anyone working at the spa must be listed on the application, Clay noted. However, she pointed out that CORI and SORI checks had revealed that one of the listed employees had a criminal conviction for sexual impropriety.

Due in part to a language barrier, Clay and Health Board members had difficulty getting answers to the questions they posed to Xiong at the hearing. Clay said that she would bring in a Mandarin interpreter and continue the discussion with Xiong at a later date.