TOWN OF PLYMOUTH BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING June 17, 2020 @ 3:00 PM MINUTES The following Board of Health meeting was held on Wednesday June 17, 2020 at 3:00 PM via PACTV PresentU U AgendaU Birgitta E. Kuehn. LP, MBA, CCP Emeritus, Chairman Barry Potvin, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Vice Chair Nancy O’Connor Gantz, MS, RN, ANP-BC • Public Participation in a Virtual Meeting Jerry Levine, BS, MS, MBA • Minutes Dr. Kenneth Terkelsen, MD • Septic Variance: 10 Wagon Wheel Dr • Chairman Announcements Karen Keane, Public Health Director • Director’s Report Margaret Coe, Administrative Assistant • Other Business • Disclosure: These minutes are not verbatim – they are the secretary’s interpretation of what took place at the meeting. – Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A § 22. • These minutes are a record as accepted by the Board of Health. • All materials presented during this meeting are available in the Public Health Department. • Administrative Business – May include topics not reasonably anticipated by the Chair 48 hours in advance of the meeting Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the Plymouth Board of Health will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible.. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time, via technological means. In the even that we are unable to do so, despite best efforts, we will post to the Town of Plymouth website an audio or video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting. 3:00 PM Welcome from Chair 3:01 PM – Septic Variance: 10 Wagon Wheel Steve Kotowski of Webby Engineering presented the variance request. On a motion by Nancy O’Connor Gantz and seconded by Dr. Potvin, the Board voted unanimously to approve the variance as requested. Voted: 5/0 3:09 PM – Director’s Report (see attached) 3:40 PM – Chairman Overview Ms. Kuehn explained that as of 7/1/2020, businesses must comply with 25% occupancy per office. The Town will be 1 filing a request for exemption for the Treasurer/Collector Office, Fire Station Headquarters, Department of Public Works and Crematory. The Board of Health finds it may be necessary to exceed the required occupancy due to the necessary need. Ms. Kuehn explained to the board that Article 18 – Fall 2018 Town Meeting, had not gone through with the state for unexplained reasons. State Representative Matthew Muratore would be looking into it. Ms. Kuehn asked the board for suggestions as to how restaurants could be more consistent with hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks. There were several suggestions made, ranging from websites, social media, local newspapers and signage. 4:24 PM - Adjournment On a motion by Jerry Levine and seconded by Dr. Potvin, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn. Voted: 4/0 2 0 Public Health Director’s June 17, 2020 Bi-Monthly Report Prepared for the Board of Health Members Karen Keane, Public Health Director Town of Plymouth - Department of Public Health Coronavirus COVID-19 COMMAND CENTER Was daily – now will be published Monday, Wednesday and Friday • COVID – 19 Response Command Center o Daily Situation Report o Testing Update • Public Health Data • Confirmed and Probable Case Breakdown • Mobile Testing Numbers for Long Term Care, Assisted Living Residences • Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Update • Chelsea Soldiers’ Home Update • Get Tested for COVID – 19: June 17th and 18th Have You Attended a Large Gathering? o Eligibility . Open to Everyone . You don’t need to have symptoms . No cost to you o Test Results . Will be provided to each participant confidentially . Participants are encouraged to share these results with their doctors o Closest sites to Plymouth . Brockton, Harwich Port, North Quincy, Randolph . CVS Locations – Bridgewater, Carver, East Falmouth, Holbrook, Westport GUIDANCE FOR TOWN MEETINGS TO ADDRESS COVID-19 School Nurses • Carilyn Rains and 7 volunteers • Nurses send me an email each day they are available • Cases will be assigned to each nurse • 20 Cases as of 6/16/2020 • Contact each case • Complete Surveillance Assessment Check-In • Nurses have list of resources for referrals • Nurses have my email and cell phone number Page | 2 Nursing Homes Nursing Home Hotline: (617)660-5399 Numbers continue to be reported from Long Term Facilities Center for Active Living Member of the Re-Opening Task Force: Create sector specific COVID-19 safety recommendations for Plymouth Center for Active Living and provide instructions to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. TOBACCO Municipal Tobacco Control Conference • Flavored Products • Concept Flavor • Enhancers • Nicotine Strength • General tobacco retailers CANNOT sell vape products that have a nicotine strength of over 35 mg/ml. • Adult-Only Retail Tobacco Stores and Smoking Bars are exempt from this policy o Required Retail Signage o State Fines o Marijuana and CBD Flavored Vape Products Flavored Products are Prohibited for Sale Starting 6/1/2020 • No Menthol, No Mint or Wintergreen, No Flavored Pods, No Flavored Vape, No Flavored Enhancers, No Flavored Premium Cigars, No Flavored Small Cigars and Cigarillos. • Violations, Order to Cease and Desist, Enforcement st o 1 Offense - $1000 nd o 2 Offense - $2000 and suspension for 1-7 business days or longer rd o 3 or Subsequent Offense – 36 months from first violation - $5000 and suspension for 7-30 days or longer. o Copies of Correction Orders TICKS AND MOSQUITOES Educational materials ordered through the Massachusetts Clearing House Page | 3 This concludes the Director’s report for June 17, 2020. Karen Keane, Public Health Director Town of Plymouth 26 Court Street Plymouth, MA 02360 Page | 4 Mo Monday, June 15, 2020 COVID-19 RESPONSE COMMAND CENTER CO COVIDDAILY SITUATION-19 Command REPORT Center Ma Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Situation Update Note: Beginning today, the Command Center Situation Report will be CCenterpublishedSituation on a Monday, ReportWednesday, Friday 23 Schedule. State Actions in Today’s Report: Governor Baker Provides Daily Update Situation in Numbers Pop-Up Testing Sites for Participants of Large Gatherings Public Health Data: Dashboard Indicators Massachusetts current as of 6/15 Update on Mobile Testing Numbers Update on Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers’ Homes 105,690 Total Cases (click here for more information) 7,647 Deaths (See dashboard below for key daily public health indicators) 712,875 patients tested for the virus to date by MA State Public Health Laboratory, hospitals and commercial laboratories. United States Last Updated 6/15 Case numbers are updated regularly at noon. Saturday/Sunday reports are preliminary and have not been confirmed with state/territorial health departments. Helpful Links: Total Cases Reported to CDC: Reopening Massachusetts Jobs Available to Assist Long Term Care Facilities 2,085,769 Total Cases Get Involved: Community Contact Tracing Collaborative 115,644 Deaths Mass.Gov/covid19 Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 55 Jurisdictions Reporting Cases (50 Unemployment & COVID-19 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, Dept. Of Transitional Assistance Online Portal Northern Marianas, and US V.I.) FrontlineMA.org Emergency Childcare Site Social Distancing Basics: MBTA.com/covid19 Stay Home COVID-19 Cost Eligibility and Tracking Guidance Call/Facetime/online chat Complete List of Emergency Orders & Guidance with friends and loved ones. If you go out for essential needs: Background on the Command Center Avoid crowds The COVID Command Center, under the leadership of Secretary Marylou Stay 6 feet away from others Sudders and reporting to Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Don’t shake hands or hug Polito, is the Commonwealth’s single point of strategic decision making and Wear a face covering or mask coordination for the Administration’s comprehensive COVID-19 response. if physical distancing is not possible. COVID-19 RESPONSE COMMAND CENTER DAILY SITUATION REPORT State Actions Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders to provide an update on Coronavirus and announce a new testing initiative. (See video here). Baker-Polito Administration Announces Pop-Up Testing Sites for Participants of Large Gatherings The Baker-Polito Administration announced the availability of pop-up COVID-19 testing sites throughout the Commonwealth for individuals who have recently participated in large gatherings. These free testing sites will be available at over 50 sites throughout the Commonwealth on Wednesday, June 17th and Thursday, June 18th. The Administration is urging anyone who has attended a large gathering in the past two weeks to get tested for COVID-19 at one of these sites. Test results will be provided to each participant confidentially, and participants are encouraged to share these results with their doctors. A full list of all testing sites is available at www.mass.gov/gettested. Social distancing, wearing face coverings, the frequent use of disinfectant and handwashing have been important to the Commonwealth’s efforts to decrease the number and rate of newly confirmed positive cases. COVID-19 can spread easily and quickly in large groups of people who are in close contact. Some people do not have symptoms but may have the virus and could spread the virus to others, including family members. The Administration has worked with partners across the Commonwealth to provide these sites including Baystate Health, Berkshire Medical Center, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Brockton Community Health Center, Brookside Community Health Center, Cambridge Health Alliance, Community Health Connections, CVS, Fairview Hospital, Lawrence General Hospital, Lynn Community Health Center, Massachusetts General Hospital Chelsea, Outer Cape Health Services, Manet Community Health Center, and UMass Medical Center.