• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Athlete of the Week
  • Seniors
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley COVID-19 update: Mandatory mask order being discussed; relief fund doles out $12,800; MLP a mask magnet

April 29, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

fells masks
Masked shoppers at Fells Market

The state’s shutdown of nonessential services at brick-and-mortar locations has been extended to May 18 in light of COVID-19 concerns, but with the possibility that rules might be relaxed from there, Wellesley officials are stepping up discussions about what that might look like locally. The town currently has 174 COVID-19 cases, with a couple of spikes last week following testing at Wellesley long-term care facilities.

The Board of Health and Board of Selectmen have an emergency meeting slated for Friday, May 1 during which they plan to discuss and vote on a mandatory mask order. The mandatory part will likely apply mainly to businesses, but perhaps also to residents who are entering a business or engage in other such situations.

Town officials have been keeping a close eye on what neighboring communities, like Needham, are doing. Needham just issued a public health emergency order mandating face coverings in specific situations come May 1. Needham stresses that residents should not exact vigilante justice on one another:

Nothing in this order is intended to encourage residents to act as an enforcement authority for the Town of Needham. Residents should not take it upon themselves to approach people in violation of this order. Residents are urged to focus solely on their personal and family compliance with this order.

So shaming will be left for local Facebook groups…

As for Wellesley, don’t expect the town to sic cops on those without face coverings, but officials could come down on businesses not adhering to new rules. It gets a lot dicier when dealing with residents, so the town will be careful regarding whether it issues mandates, advisories, guidance or recommendations. Legal will have a say on that. There’s still plenty of debate over how effective makeshift face coverings even are as well as concerns about improper use of more sophisticated face masks, such as by those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

Don’t be surprised if more changes to public spaces are raised, especially at places like the RDF where mask use is still spotty. There’s been talk of steering runners off the increasingly crowded Brook Path (hey, we were there first!) and onto sidewalks (look both ways if you’re exiting buildings).

Relief fund doles out $12,800

The new Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund has awarded $12,800 in its first round of grant funding to local non-profits.

The initial grants are being awarded to:

• Elizabeth Seton Residence Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, which will buy iPads to enable residents in the long-term care facility to visually connect with their loved ones.

•  Wellesley Fire Department, Wellesley Health Department, and Wellesley Council on Aging, to buy  2,000 KN95 masks for distribution to senior citizens and medically vulnerable residents.

• Wellesley Service League, to support 50-75 Wellesley families in public housing and throughout Town who are struggling with the at-home and online learning needs of their school-aged children. Grant money will provide items such as: kits and school supplies for remote learning; arts and crafts supplies; and games and pizza lunch every other Friday through the remainder of the school year.

•  Wellesley Health Department, Wellesley Council on Aging, and Wellesley Housing Authority, to supply 60 meals from Wellesley restaurants per week (including delivery) for COVID-19 affected residents identified by town social services and nursing staff. So, while the fund is focused on directing the monies to non-profits, for-profits can also benefit depending on the grant proposal. Has us thinking about how the fund might support a certain online news outfit that’s working overtime these days.

The Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund was established with an initial gift of $10,000 from the Community Fund for Wellesley, and has grown to more than $20,000 via additional donations. More grants will be issued on a rolling basis.

MLP a mask magnet

Credit Wellesley Municipal Light Plant Director Don Newell for being on his mask game.  He mentioned at this week’s MLP board meeting that he snagged 200 masks for staff online via Walmart recently after getting shut out on Amazon.

Plus, the MLP has ordered a couple pallets’ worth of N95 masks from an existing vendor for future use by the MLP and DPW, he said.

Bonus: COVID-19 simulator from Mass General Hospital and friends

We’re all inundated with COVID-19 data, though this new simulator from Mass General and partners caught my eye. It envisions the COVID-19 scene under different levels of intervention.


Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email

You Need Us, We Need You: Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture

print

Share

Filed Under: COVID-19, Health

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Linden Square, Wellesley
Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley, see what's new

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Edge on Science
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Father's Day rescue in Wellesley
  • Family withdraws plan for large house near Wellesley's Brook Path
  • Wellesley Public School employees honored for loyalty
  • One final Hunnewell clap-out & shouts of "Judie! Judie! Judie!" for beloved crossing guard
  • Wellesley overwhelmed by Westwood in state final for girls' lacrosse

Upcoming Events

Jun 28
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Fay School admission information session

Jul 6
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Open House at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Jul 16
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Wellesley Square July Jubilation Sidewalk Sale

Jul 19
8:00 am - 9:00 am

Fay School admission information session

Jul 20
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Uncle Danny on Wellesley overwhelmed by Westwood in state final for girls’ lacrosse
  • Fred Wright on Father’s Day rescue in Wellesley
  • Michael on Father’s Day rescue in Wellesley
  • Bob Brown on Restaurants in Wellesley, Mass.: more than 50 dining options
  • Bob Brown on Sneak peek: We visit Wellesley’s Laughing Monk Cafe

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (416)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (576)
  • Beyond Wellesley (47)
  • Books (365)
  • Business (1,499)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (48)
  • Churches (79)
  • Clubs (228)
  • Construction (294)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,108)
    • Babson College (250)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (42)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (608)
    • Wellesley High School (961)
    • Wellesley Middle School (203)
  • Embracing diversity (69)
  • Entertainment (786)
  • Environment (748)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (161)
  • Food (342)
  • Fundraising (612)
  • Gardens (157)
  • Government (553)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (850)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (3)
  • History (388)
  • Holidays (405)
  • Houses (153)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (849)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (62)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (568)
  • Natick Report (29)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (73)
  • Outdoors (642)
  • Parenting (62)
  • Police (757)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (8)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (330)
  • Religion (131)
  • Restaurants (331)
  • Safety (150)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (120)
  • Shopping (143)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (980)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (392)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (230)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,230)
  • Volunteering (346)
  • Weather (177)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login