Marion Gears Up for Return to Schools

            August 19 was originally scheduled to be the last day on the job for Marion Public Health Nurse Kathy Downey, but her retirement is on hold until the second weekend of September so she can assist her newly-appointed replacement, Lori Desmarais, who will start on September 8.

            In reporting to the Board of Health on return-to-school plans for the Old Rochester Regional District and Tabor Academy, Downey stressed how those plans are dynamic. 

            “Fluid is a good way to describe it, too. What I say to you right now might be different in the morning,” said Downey during the August 18 Zoom meeting. “Tabor’s is a little bit more urgent.”

            Downey said that all Tabor faculty, staff, and students are presently in quarantine off site for 14 days. Once back, she said, the plan has changed from one parent to two parents allowed to help move students into their rooms. Once the move has taken place, parents will leave campus.

            There will be COVID-19 testing and flu shots for students and COVID-19 testing for faculty. Tabor’s health services will operate on a 24/7 basis as usual; the facility has been moved from near the playing fields toward the admissions building. “Healthy-sick kids” (with illnesses or injuries unrelated to the coronavirus) will also go to the admissions building but to a separate section with separate bathroom facilities.

            It’s expected that 600-700 COVID-19 tests will be conducted on the first weekend; in 14 days everyone will be tested again.

            On-campus classes will be held through the third week of November, then the students will take a prolonged break from in-person education and attend remote-access classes in December.

            Adults on campus will be referred to their own primary-care physicians.

            “We all appreciate how quickly things change… and Lori and I appreciate how closely we need to stay with them … because if something does go haywire at Tabor, it will impact the whole community,” said Downey.

            Board of Health Chairperson Ed Hoffer interpreted Tabor’s stay-on-campus policy to include walking to the Cumberland Farms convenience store at the corner of Front Street and Route 6 “so clearly what happens on campus won’t stay on campus,” he said.

            Flu clinics are scheduled for Tabor during the last weekend in August.

            Desmarais reported on August 18 meetings with Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony and Chief of Police John B. Garcia. “I did meet with both of the chiefs today, and we were throwing out the idea of doing the drive-through for the flu clinics so we’d have an idea of what we’d do for COVID,” said Desmarais, who said she can do some preparation work remotely.

            While Downey strongly suggested getting flu testing done sooner rather than later to avoid the “nightmare” of overlapping with COVID-19 testing, Hoffer said a COVID-19 vaccine would become available at the earliest at the end of the year and, if so, will not have been adequately tested.

            Desmarais, currently on a pre-planned, two-week vacation, attended the Zoom meeting and said, “I’m excited to get started.”

            Old Rochester schools, as reported elsewhere in this edition, will begin the 2020-21 academic year with a hybrid attendance model based on a “cohort ideology” dividing the student body into non-overlapping halves, one half in school two days a week while the other half is engaged in remote learning, then vice versa. The Joint School Committee voted last week to truncate the academic calendar from 180 days to 170 to allow faculty and staff to use the first two weeks for preparation.

            The Marion Board of Health voted on Tuesday to approve ORR’s plan and send the district a letter of support similar to the approval recently sent to ORR by the Rochester Board of Health.

            In his report, Health Director Dave Flaherty said that Monday’s tests resulted in no closings and that Marion is “batting 1,000” at the beaches.

            Aerial spraying for mosquitoes by Plymouth County has been completed, but Flaherty noted that those wishing to have their yards sprayed can call 781-585-5450.

            Marion, said Flaherty, is still considered low risk for EEE virus, while neighbors Rochester and Wareham rank in the high-risk category. Carver and Middleboro are still considered critical. Flaherty said that the entire south coast is at low risk for West Nile virus.

            The Board of Health remains concerned over the age and presumed vulnerability of volunteers on its CERT team. Flaherty indicated he will expand his research for a younger body of volunteers with groups like the Boy Scouts and church groups. Hoffer suggested that Medical Reserve Corps volunteers could be eligible. Town employees are under consideration.

            Hoffer said that, while Cumberland Farms has entered into a cease-and-desist agreement with the state regarding the use of self-serve drink stations, the Marion store has not been a problem. “They knew about this and asked me to give them any updates,” said Flaherty. “It looks like they might be going back to full-service coffee.”

            The board conducted a walkthrough of Sippican School and determined that the building would need additional staffing to serve as a quarantine place in the event of a hurricane necessitating home evacuations.

            Hoffer said he reached out to two areas hotels, one at Wareham Crossing that is prohibited by corporate policy against accepting patrons under coronavirus-related quarantine or isolation orders, but also noted the manager encouraged him to call in the event of a crisis and he would do what he could to help Marion residents. A Fairhaven hotel checked has no generator.

            Marion may have escaped a pickle with state funding dating back to the former Marion-Rochester Health District that received $50,000 for coronavirus-related expenditures. While the town split the funds down the middle with Rochester, the latter did not spend and report as quickly as Marion, which had to wait so the district could report as one. But, in the interim, state guidelines changes on what would be approved, putting Marion into a precarious position.

            Marion had spent the money on plexiglass and restructuring of rooms in public buildings, but was later told the funds were earmarked for food pantry, etc. Fortunately for Marion, Downey reported having been given a verbal okay on spending according to the originally prescribed categories.

            Citing the day Marion will eventually no longer be in the advantageous position of having two licensed physicians (Hoffer and John Howard) on the Board of Health, Downey suggested the board have a policy to seek medical advice. “Even if you don’t have somebody lined up,” she said, “it’s good to have a policy while we have medical professionals on (the board).” Hoffer agreed to draft a policy to address the matter.

            Marion has produced an Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) Plan. Hoffer said it is part of the town’s emergency preparation plan and is 40 pages in length.

            Downey reported that Marion is getting close to receiving much of its delayed order for personal protective equipment from vendor McKesson.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, at 4:00 pm.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo

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