Wellesley businesses have begun reaching out to patrons with their responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has included 3 Wellesley residents who have tested presumably positive.
The first communications we saw came from FitClub, the Wellesley CrossFit, bootcamp and more fitness outfit, which on March 4 issued a note to its “FitClub family” that it is monitoring “the spread of the Coronavirus” and “keeping an eye on official information including guidance published by the CDC. Should emergency directives be issued, we will take appropriate action as directed by government officials. The business assured customers it is taking preventative measures to protect against exposure to the virus, including instructing its staff to do what everyone else is being instructed to do (e.g., wash hands often with soap, avoiding touching your face, stay home if not feeling well, etc.).
CrepeBerry, the Wellesley Hills cafe, connected with its clientele via a message from owner Amelia Childs on Facebook that read in part: “I know a lot of people around town are very nervous right now and I wanted to let you know about the steps we are taking at our business to ensure our customers and staff feel safe…” Among other things, CrepeBerry is switching to disposable utensils and drink cups for now, waiving its credit & debit card minimum for those who don’t want to deal with dirty cash, and sanitizing tables and more twice an hour. Oh, and “Please feel free to ask staff members about different immunity boosting enhancers (spirulina, matcha, ect) we can add to your smoothies.”
Watching what goes into your mouth also might include a dentist’s hand. Noxon Orthodontics in Wellesley has asked patients to reschedule if showing any flu-like symptoms, and emphasized its “strict infection control practices.” What’s more, a crew performed a deep clean of even low-risk surfaces over the weekend, according to Dr. Stephen Noxon. “Additionally, we have changed our sign-in procedures and removed many items that people touch and/or items that are difficult to clean: iPads, magazines, display items, educational tools, etc.”
Code Ninjas in Linden Square also took to social media to share its actions, which have included reaching out to the Wellesley Health Department regularly.
Babson College, MassBay Community College and Wellesley College, all in town, have been keeping their communities on top of plans, too.
Also, organizations with a presence in Wellesley and well beyond have communicated their response. While you might be hard pressed to find mention of the coronavirus on sites of big companies like say, Biogen, Dunkin’ Donuts hits you with a message from its CEO on its website home page It reads in part: “At the recommendation of our global task force, in addition to the steps we and our international franchisees and licensees have taken in their restaurants, we have a number of cleaning and sanitation initiatives underway in our U.S. locations. These initiatives include: increasing the frequency of restaurant cleaning; requiring franchisees and their crew members to re-take food safety training; temporarily halting food sampling and reusable mug programs; and cancelling non-essential corporate, franchisee and employee meetings as well as non-essential corporate travel.”
More: Wellesley firm puts handy coronavirus info on your smartphone
Subscribe to The Swellesley Report’s daily email
The safest place to be is in the dentist’s office. Universal precautions and infection control procedures are performed each and everyday. There has been many cancellations from patients over the past few weeks out of a fear of the unknown. The only cancellation from a patient should be due to sickness. I know a lot of dental practices that have current openings for examinations and cleanings. If a patient is in need of an oral health assessment this would be a good time to schedule an appointment.