Weston Coronavirus Updates For June 15

Press release from the Town of Weston:

June 15, 2020

Updates as they pertain to Weston will continue to be posted to the Town’s website at Weston.org/COVID19 and will be issued via email/text, as well as through the Town’s social media channels. Subscribe to receive these “News Flash” email/text messages at Weston.org/StayInformed by entering your email or cell phone number, clicking “sign in” and selecting Latest Town News and/or Public Safety News. Be sure to verify the subscription(s) so you receive them.

In This Update:

• Positive case reporting and updates
• Remaining Vigilant and what that means
• Town communications regarding the coronavirus going forward
• Update on Town Departments and Services

See also:

• The state’s re-opening framework: Four Phase Plan
• State’s daily dashboard and public health indicators
• COVID-19 Information and Guidance - health and human services resources
• COVID-19 Infographic for Safety - printable version

Positive Case Reporting and Case Update

A decision was made by the Emergency Management Team just before the state was set to move into Phase 1 to stop reporting Weston’s positive COVID-19 numbers because it was found that the numbers were not truly reflecting the wider Weston community and that this was misleading information for the general public. Early on, Weston had positive cases growing in the greater community but those numbers were declining roughly the same time as the cases in care facilities were increasing. Since the individuals living in the care facilities were held in the facility with no interaction with the outside (except for the health care workers), the team preferred to protect their privacy out of respect for the families.

The timing of the decision to stop reporting numbers also corresponded to the Governor’s reopening announcement. It was decided it would be better to focus on community spread and the lack thereof due to early and ongoing precautions taken by our the Town and residents and to highlight the importance for residents to continue protecting themselves and others while the state began the reopening process. As people were eager to start getting back to “normal,” this was considered to be a greater concern on which to focus. The caveat being that as soon as a resident tested positive, that would be announced.

Case Count - June 15th

Unfortunately, in today’s update, the epidemiology team is reporting a Weston resident being positive for COVID-19. The individual is in isolation and the family is under the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Based on contact tracing, it is highly suspected the resident contracted the virus from another town.

Weston’s epidemiology team is continuing to monitor the virus and the spread very carefully. Please pick up the phone if the Board of Health is calling. Residents are urged to continue to be cautious as the state settles into phase 2 in the reopening plan. We know and understand that people are becoming tired and are seeking “normalcy” in their lives, which can create a situation of personal guards dropping.

Remaining Vigilant

With so much going on in the United States, shops and restaurants reopening, and summer weather here, it is understandable that people are seeking normalcy and relief. But letting our guard down will not help. It is important that everyone continues to remain cautious of the coronavirus as Massachusetts enters phase 2b of the reopening plan. The Governor’s plan to reopen has many guidelines and specifications for municipalities and business owners to follow.

If it helps place this in perspective, while the Northeast is seeing a decline in infection rates due to slow and phased reopening plans, states that reopened without precautions in place are seeing infection rates spike.

The state’s plan is inherently the responsibility of every person to work cooperatively to ensure the following four key actions are upheld on a daily basis:

1. face coverings in public spaces
2. physical distancing
3. increased hand washing and sanitation
4. staying home when feeling unwell - check your symptoms online

Additionally:

• stay at home as much as possible, even with the face covering order
• MassDPH created a short video explaining what face coverings are appropriate for use
• stay at home as much as you can if you are susceptible to infection or have a vulnerable person within your household
• Always have a face covering with you
• When you venture out, wash your hands before leaving and maintain a 6-foot physical distance
• sanitize everything you touched (wallet, car door handles, steering wheel, credit card, etc.)
• wash your hands immediately after a public visit
• wash your hands immediately after touching/removing your mask
• Weston Firefighters filmed two tutorials demonstrating how to properly don and safely doff a face mask and how to properly remove and dispose of gloves
• avoid cross contamination when using masks and gloves
• Follow and adhere to guidelines that are posted at the location you visit

Town Communications Going Forward

COVID-19 email communication is now scheduled to be issued once per week unless there is an increase in positive cases in the open community or there is another pressing issue. Please consider sharing this information with others and encourage subscription to Latest Town News and/or Public Safety News.

Reopening Weston

The latest updates to town services and programming are listed below, and all are outlined at Weston.org/Status. Please note that municipalities and demographics vary, so what works for one town may not work for another. Decisions made to reopen Weston are carefully considered against state guidelines, resources, and abilities. The process also takes into consideration the health and safety of staff and residents. New procedures and protocols will be in place to accommodate safety guidelines and this may take some time to become familiar and install. The following are the latest updates to Weston’s Town Services and programming:

Transfer Station

The electronics recycling drop off is reopened. The textile and charity donation bins are open again as well. A bin will be left outside the Goodwill trailer for donations, please do not enter the trailer. The Swap Shed remains closed due to the potential for close contact encounters.

Cat Rock Conservation Land

The trails located at Cat Rock, including 80-acre field, are reopened to out-of-town visitors. We greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of our visitors from neighboring communities during the height of the public health emergency. Please note that the temporary leash order remains in effect for all dogs on all conservation land and fields in Weston. This is to minimize person to person contact and we appreciate everyone’s continued cooperation.

Playground at Lamson Park

Parents are encouraged to follow these guidelines in order to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus and the potential to have to close the playground again. Parents/guardians must supervise play and enforce social distancing and wearing face coverings.

• Maintain 6-feet of physical distance from others at all times
• Face coverings are required
• Seek alternative facilities if playground is crowded
• Do not visit playground if you or your child is sick
• Wash hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before and after using playground. Hand sanitizer stations are available on site to help

Recreation Fields and Tennis Courts

The following Recreation fields are open:

• Burchard Park
• Cherry Brook Field
• Czarnowski Field on Brook Rd.
• Melone Field at Cat Rock
• Ferrelli Field on Bogle St.
• Burt Field off Gail Rd

The full field policy is available through the latest Recreation Happenings newsletter and includes the following key points:

• Fields remain open to individuals and members of the same households only
• social distancing must be practiced when others are around
• No games will be permitted under any circumstances, including scrimmages, tournaments, or recreational pickup games

The following tennis courts are opened for recreational singles play only:

• Burchard Park (2-courts)
• Weston High School (6-courts)
• Weston Middle School (4-courts)

The courts at Brook School Apartments will remain closed through Phase II due to its proximity to a vulnerable population. The full policy is available through the latest Recreation Happenings newsletter and includes the following key points:

• Singles play only. Doubles matches, lessons, and tournaments are prohibited
• When courts are full, please wait outside of gate until a court opens and users exit. Play time is limited to 1-hour while others are waiting
• Please wear face coverings when entering and exiting the court. Face coverings are not required during play.
• Maintain a 6-foot physical distance from others at all times

The State’s Plan to Reopen

The various phases of the state’s plan will not automatically begin unless the Public Health Indicators permit. Each phase will last at minimum 3 weeks but only if a decline in the number of infections and hospitalizations support it. If the numbers begin to climb, the state will return to the previous phase. Details of the reopening plan can be found at Mass.gov/Reopening. Here you will find:

• A description of the framework to reopen
• The full report of the plan to reopen
• Business reopening outline
• Compliance and best practices for reopening
• Response Reporting and Archive

June 14th Public Health Indicators Dashboard:

June 14th Measurement Status:

Reminder Information

Prevent making others sick or getting sick yourself - steps everyone should be taking now and as we move forward, consider these your New Normal

COVID-19 Information and Guidance - health and human services resources

COVID-19 Infographic for Safety - printable version

This press release was produced by the Town of Weston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.