Board of Health

BOH MEETING MINUTES 03-08-2021 Attending via TEAMS Conference Call Call # 1 617-433-9462, Conference ID: 183 195 087# Joseph Tennyson, MD, Chair Jim Griffin, Vice-Chair Also in attendance: Director John Garside and Clerk Tina Nolin Meeting called to order 6:30 pm Reading and Approval of Minutes • Minutes for February 1, 2021 meeting: Chairman Tennyson motioned to approve the minutes as amended (fix typo on p3) and place them on file. Vice-Chair Griffin seconded the motion; Board roll call vote was 2-0 to approve the motion. New Business • Discussion & Update of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Director Garside updated the Board on the recent activities of the Health Department regarding COVID-19. - Since last January, the City’s total cases are 4250; 4070 people have recovered, and 114 have passed. There are 66 active cases. Incidence per 100K people is at 20; positivity is at 3.24%. Currently, there are no cases in long-term care or assisted living, nor in any of our senior housing communities. All persons in long-term care and senior housing, who wanted it, have received their two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Director’s Update - To date, we have done 1324 COVID-19 vaccinations as a Board of Health/Department. - This coming week we have a clinic scheduled at the Senior Center for 200 vaccinations, all of them second doses. We may do an additional 60 vaccinations on Friday if more vaccine arrives. We were shorted some second-dose vaccines earlier in the week. If the vaccine does not arrive, we will push out the Friday clinic until next week, hoping it arrives by then. - Director Garside gave an update on the Marlborough Hospital vaccine site, reporting that it has moved to 75 Felton St. The City is providing facility support by way of brick and mortar at the Courtyard Marriott and traffic logistics. The site received 800 doses of vaccine this week, 500 first doses, and 300-second doses. They anticipate doing just over 200 vaccinations a day out of that facility this week and ramping up as the vaccine becomes available. - Vice-Chair Griffin mentioned there is some confusion among the public regarding what the Hospital site offers. Specifically, whether the site is simply the relocation of the Hospital’s vaccine site or the “mini mega” site discussed earlier. Director Garside said the site is not technically a “regional collaborative.” As explained by MDPH, the site is an “existing POD” and will continue to be supported by MDPH and continue to get the vaccine when supply becomes available. It is  Board of Health Minutes March 8, 2021 p2 open to all Massachusetts residents. The Hospital is now offering first doses, which they had not provided for the past two weeks due to the State’s limited vaccine supply. People can register for appointments at the site through Vaxfinder.mass.gov and the My Chart system for hospital patients. - In the next few days or weeks, we will start messaging regarding the UMASS Hospital My Chart vaccination program, which provides some vaccination appointments to people who have been hospital patients over the past few years. After a conversation with the hospital, we will develop and message that program as another avenue for people to get a vaccination appointment. - SCHOOL UPDATE: At Marlborough Public Schools, all cohorts are coming back in-person with the 50%-50% hybrid model, meaning Cohort A goes one week, and Cohort B goes the following week. The exception is the Kindergarten through second grade, special needs, and ESL classes that remained in-person full-time. On or around April 5th, under Commissioner Riley’s authority, all students in grades K-5 will be returning in person full time. - Marlborough Public Schools is adopting the close contact definition of CDC, MDPH, and we as a health department. Currently, if someone in the classroom becomes positive, they send the entire classroom out as close contacts and quarantine them. As of March 15th, they will be using the more limited definition of close contact as “someone with whom the person has been within 6ft for 15- minutes over 24 hours.” This change should help to send fewer students and teachers home to quarantine. - Assabet Valley Technical High School remains in its hybrid 50%-50% model. - Chairman Tennyson updated the Board on COVID-19 within the UMASS Hospital system. Overall, COVID volume is down. However, there has been a little bit of a recent spike. It is unclear where it’s coming from; it could be common-cause variation (randomness) or the COVID- 19 variants starting to show up here. But overall, COVID-19 numbers are much lower. - Director Garside reported how health departments appear to be getting less and less vaccine and wonders whether MDPH will ever look back to the health departments to provide vaccine opportunities. The Department will be doing some homebound immunizations, but after that, he was not sure what will come next for health departments, even when vaccine supplies increase. Subdivision Site Plan & Special Permit Reviews - Director Garside updated the Board regarding the Mass International Academy at 280 Locke Drive, which closed due to issues related to the pandemic. They catered to Chinese students coming to the US, but they are no longer coming over, given the pandemic. Another group has taken over the site, now called the New England Innovation Academy. It serves grades 6 through 12 as a boarding school.  Board of Health Minutes March 8, 2021 p3 Unknow Business at Time of Posting There was no unknown business Scheduling of Next Meeting The next meeting of the Board will be on April 5th at 6:30 pm. Attendance will continue to be remote via Teams meeting. ADJOURN Vice-chair Griffin motioned to adjourn the meeting at 6:50 pm; Chairman Griffin seconded the motion; the roll call vote was 2-0 in favor to adjourn. Respectfully submitted, 04/06/2021 Dr. Joseph Tennyson Dated Cc: Board of Health Members City Council, City Clerk, and City of Marlborough Website