The Marion Board of Health says it still supports the hybrid model of learning part-time in-school and part-time remotely in the Tri-Town despite a statewide surge in COVID-19. On December 15, the board voted to send a letter supporting the continuation of hybrid learning at Old Rochester Regional. At the request of the superintendent of schools, the board will send a letter similar to one the board sent back in August in support of instituting a hybrid learning model, which, said Board of Health Chairman Edward Hoffer, “in general, seems to be working.”
According to Hoffer, “Virtually all [positive COVID-19 cases involving students] were not contracted at the school but were elsewhere.” He referenced a “fascinating” Center for Disease Control memorandum he read that day. Of the positive pediatric COVID-19 cases, he said, “They found, again, that in the vast majority of cases, they did not contract their infection at school but … at parties, at playgroups, almost everything but school. It really does look like having kids at school is not dangerous.”
Board of Health member Dot Brown said that, during recent visits to Sippican School at the end of the school day, she observed the children behaving in full compliance with facemasks and maintaining social distancing. “Their parents are not,” she noted.
At the time of the meeting on Tuesday, Sippican School has had a total of eight positive cases since the start of the pandemic. Public Nurse Lori Desmarais reported that there are currently six Sippican School students in quarantine and zero current confirmed cases in isolation.
At ORR, as of 4:00 pm on Tuesday, the high school has 24 students in quarantine with seven confirmed cases in isolation, and 10 in quarantine from the junior high with six confirmed cases in isolation.
In Marion, the year-to-date total of positive cases is 159, with 45 active cases in town.
Desmarais reported that presently there are three active cases stemming from Sippican Healthcare Center. A total of 112 confirmed cases have recovered from the virus, and another 127 people have tested negative for COVID-19.
It has been eight days without a single report of any new positive cases at the nursing home.
“They seem as if they’ve gotten their cluster — the outbreak that they had there under control,” Desmarais said, adding that the Department of Public Health has been a regular presence there. She noted that the DPH would continue to monitor the situation there and provide the town updates.
Desmarais announced that she still has a couple of high-dose flu vaccinations and some regular-dose flu vaccines available. Anyone wishing to receive one may make an appointment by calling 508-748-3530.
Health Agent David Flaherty told the board that he has responded to several complaints about out-of-town visitors failing to quarantine as directed by the DPH or not using facemasks in public. One complaint was based out of an apartment complex, and Flaherty said he spoke with the management, which Flaherty said did follow up on the complaint and resolved it.
Overall, Flaherty said, he is satisfied with the results of his COVID-compliance inspections with about 40 Marion businesses over the last two weeks. An additional 10 he did over the phone.
“Almost all our businesses are doing great, and they’re really behind us 100 percent,” Flaherty said. The same goes for the patrons of those establishments, too. “A couple [of establishments] need a little hand-holding,” he added, but he said he would follow-up with them this week and after as needed.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health will be held on Tuesday, January 5, at 4:00 pm.
Marion Board of Health
By Jean Perry