Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 12/31/2021
LUDLOW – During the Ludlow Board of Health’s Dec. 28 meeting, the board discussed the current spike in COVID-19 cases in town and potentially implementing a mask mandate in January.
To start her informational session, Public Health Nurse Andrea Kramer said the town saw another significant jump in COVID-19 cases from the numbers she provided to the Board of Selectmen on Dec. 21.
“From Dec. 1 to Dec. 28 we have a total of 527 cases, a week ago we had 337 cases, so we are up 190 cases. That is across the board everywhere and it is all due to gatherings, we did have a funeral that I know spiked us a little bit and that was Dec. 14. There were a lot of exposures that day, people may not have even known that they had it,” she said.
Based on the data Kramer presented, the largest increase in cases from the prior week was for the 20- to 29-year-old age group, which jumped from 65 cases to 122 cases.
Kramer said in a letter sent home to parents from Ludlow Public School’s Health Care Coordinator Kristen Bunten, the district urged parents to be vigilant about pending tests and symptoms.
“If you have a pending COVID test of a parent, do not send your child to school because if that parent becomes positive, now we have this direct contact who now has other contacts,” Kramer said. “[Bunten] told them to start planning for January and keeping their children home if they feel any kind of illness.”
Kramer said this spike is not exclusive to Ludlow.
“We are seeing some influenza but not a lot of the flu yet. But we are seeing more of this and that is across the board because I was just by the Eastfield Mall and it was mid-afternoon and it was mobbed,” she said. “We are in another surge.”
To help increase vaccination rates in town, Kramer said she was planning two more vaccination clinics in January.
“Patty from Big Y texted me because I called her about setting up another clinic, I just have to verify with Our Lady of Fatima which date is going to work for them, it will be either Jan. 11 or Jan. 12. I did speak to Kristen at the schools, and we are also going to run another one in January with the schools,” she said.
Board member Kelly Lamas said she was in favor of continuing with vaccination clinics.
“Continuing the vaccine clinics, I think is a great idea to at least continue it through the winter to get those folks that have moved the needle and now want to get vaccinated or get boosted. If there is a need in town, which it seems like there is based on the numbers from the last clinic, I think continuing through the winter is a good idea,” she said.
Kramer added that people continue to call her about future clinics.
With the increase in cases, Kramer said it might be time to implement a mask mandate for municipal buildings.
“Springfield just announced they are wearing masks in municipalities which I do not know if we will be doing that, but it might be a good idea only because people are traveling, people are doing things and they are out in about,” she said.
Lamas said the Department of Public Health is currently looking at changing its policies based in new guidance for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Mass DPH is currently reviewing the updated CDC guidance internally at this point and at the local board of health webinar providing guidance there, so they will be providing guidance to local boards very soon regarding the new CDC guidance. We are still proceeding as outlined by DPH until they take the CDC guidance,” she said.
Following the mask advisory put forward by Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration, Kramer said she was in favor of implementing a mask mandate through the end of January before readdressing it at the end of the month.
Health Agent Andrea Crete said she was unsure about implementing a mask mandate.
“If the governor is going to be doing an advisory there may be something like a mandate coming down the pipe in the future, I know other communities have been lifted already and with the CDC looking to shorten the quarantine, it seems like they are being a little more lenient ins some cases, so I have mixed feelings about the mask mandate,” she said.
By waiting until the next meeting to make a decision, Lamas said the board would have more information to make a decision.
“My suggestion would be to have a drafted policy for a masking policy for municipal buildings at the next meeting, which will be Jan. 12 and by that time we will have updated guidance from DPH to have a more thorough discussion,” she said.
The Ludlow Board of Health next meets on Jan. 12 and will further discuss a potential mask mandate.