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In an unprecedented move, the Board of Health met virtually on March 16 to strategize on how to keep residents as safe as possible from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE [Continue reading below.]
The attending board members — Zac Cataldo, Sue Hanley, Michelle Pitoniak-Crawford, and Stephanie Granger participated in the live streaming meeting from remote locations around town with Health Director Jeffrey Stephens, Public Health Nurse Gail Johnson, Town Manager Jodi Ross, and Director of Environmental Services Rae Dick. Board member Joanne Belanger, assistant director of public health in Andover, was not present at the early morning meeting. Select Board Chair Elizabeth Almeida called in to the meeting.
With Town Hall, the library, restaurant services curtailed, and all schools in town shuttered, it was technology that brought the group together while practicing social distancing as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How it Started
Scientists believe the Coronavirus was transmitted from an animal to a human and then spread human to human. They suspect the incident took place in Wuhan, China, late last year or early this year, where it quickly spread to almost 81,000 people around the country. Approximately 3,200 died. The link was potentially a food market that sold fish and meat. When the virus moved to Italy, almost 32,000 were infected and 2,500 have died so far. On March 16, the Trump Administration instituted guidelines and encouraged social distancing — a term meant to stop handshaking, hugging or touching of any kind in public.
Despite the grim restrictions, Granger inserted a measure of hope.
“For most people, this is not a life threatening illness,” she said. “Hopefully we can remind ourselves that for most of us, this is something we can weather.” In fact, according to the World Health Organization, China, Spain, Italy and France have had a large number of critical cases but most around the globe have seen far fewer mortality rates.
The Benefit of Technology
Using webinar software to patch the attendees to the meeting, the video stream and audio were forwarded to a playback server that broadcast the meeting live on television, YouTube and video on demand at westfordcat.org.
How the Virus Spreads
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states that the virus spreads through water droplets that are emitted when someone sneezes or coughs or are in-haled into the lungs. The illness can lead to pneumonia. COVID-19 is the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. It’s not clear how long the virus lives on surfaces, so disinfecting wipes and sprays are flying off of store shelves.
Brainstorming Solutions
Board of Health members spent an hour-and-a-half brainstorming plans designed to stop the spread of the Coronavirus–a virus that infiltrates the lungs. It seems to spare robust children and young adults, but targets the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.
So far more than 108 people nationwide have died from the virus, according to the WHO. A regional newspaper is reporting that two people in Lowell, a city of about 111,000, a few miles away from Westford, have tested positive for the virus. On a global basis the estimated deaths are about 8,300. In Massachusetts as of March 16, there were 164 presumptive cases.
Critical Need: Supplies of Protective Garb
For their protection, first responders and health professionals are alerted to positive COVID-19 cases. Before coming into contact with an affected patient, the first responder is required to wear gloves, a gown to cover the body, and an N95 facial mask before entering a room to help someone with the virus. Town Manager Jodi Ross said police officers and firefighters do not have the proper protection and she lobbied for the Health Department to provide the protective gear.
“Both my police and fire chiefs could use more of the N95 masks,” she said. “We need disposable gowns for police and fire.” Ross said it was an urgent matter given the speed at which the virus was spreading.
Stephens said he could release some from the 200 he has stored away, “but it’s really limited.”
Ross countered. “We’re going to go through these supplies very quickly,” she said. “We’re going to need them and we need them now.”
Michele Pitoniak-Crawford said there are no solutions to the matter.
“There are no supplies to be had,” she said. “When they do get some, they go to the hospitals.”
“We’re going to look under every rock,” said Stephens. “We know we need them.”
In the meantime, the board members encouraged townspeople to drop off such things as hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, cleansing wipes, and N95 masks. It’s not clear where the receptacle would be.
Supplies and food at Market Basket sold out on Saturday. Even Amazon ran out of toilet paper, leading to brightening this dark period with levity, as people scrambled to find a role or two on some store shelf and posted about their tribulations.
Life Changes..For Now
Overnight, life for Westford residents changed as Gov. Charlie Baker took more steps to contain the virus and the Trump Administration changed the number of people allowed to gather in one place from 25 to 10. Every aspect of the community is affected, according to the Westford Health Department’s post: community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, festivals, and any similar event or activity that brings together 25 (now 10) or more in a single room or single space at the same time in a venue such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater, gymnasium, fitness center, private club, or any other confined indoor or outdoor space.”
Ordering food to go from local restaurants will be permitted but their doors are closed to those wanting to eat inside. Grocery stores are not subject to limiting the number of shoppers inside a store at one time.
Cataldo had some advice for residents. “Get sleep, take a walk outside, and stay hydrated,” he said.
And then he reminded residents to reach out to others.
“Check on your neighbors. Check on your friends,” Cataldo said.
Westford Public Health Nurse Gail Johnson contributed to this story.
UPDATE: A link to the virtual meeting was added on March 19.
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