Brookline Sets Up Task Force, Response To Coronavirus

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline officials announced they had formed a task force charged with recommending plans to respond to the possibility of coronavirus in town shortly after Gov. Charlie Baker announced a state of emergency in Massachusetts on Tuesday.

According to Brookline Public Health Director Swannie Jett, his department is monitoring 14 people who have traveled to one of the countries that are considered high risk or have attended the Biogen conference recently in Boston he said. None of them are showing symptoms and most of them should be out quarantine by end of this week, he said.

State health officials announced Tuesday the total number of coronavirus cases rose to 92 across the commonwealth. All but one of the cases have been dubbed "presumptive positive," which means they are confirmed by the state but the Centers for Disease Control still needs to verify the test results. Although there are 10 presumptive positive cases in Norfolk County, as of yet, there have been none reported in Brookline.

Interim Superintendent of Brookline Public Schools Ben Lummis said there are no plans to close the school at this time, but should a member of the school community become diagnosed with coronavirus, there are two possible scenarios where the schools could be closed, he said. One is if someone comes into contact with someone exposed to coronavirus, another is if members of the community contract it themselves.

Lummis stressed that any families who have children who are feeling ill to stay home. Custodians are doing daily disinfection, he said.

Brookline Town Administrator Mel Kleckner acknowledged that as coronavirus spread, many communities are recommending different plans of action and that can be confusing, even for his office, he said.

"We are considering and planning for measures that would limit gatherings, and we are supportive of the governor's declaration of a state of emergency," he said.

But he said the town was especially concerned and were seeking guidance from the state on how they should limit public meeting sizes in the future if it came to it - such as Town Meeting or public hearings that are required by law to remain open and participatory.

The town's task force is working to develop plans to keep essential services operating.

Lipson said the police department is preparing for the possibility of a reduced work force should someone have to go into quarantine. But, officials stressed that first responders have modified their protocols when responding to people with flue like symptoms so as not to infect others.

Task Force:

The newly appointed task force will meet as early as Wednesday morning and recommend various items adopt. The task force is made up of the director of health and human services, interim superintendent, town administrator, chief of police and fire chief.

On the Marathon:

"Obviously we are all concerned about the Boston Marathon event, on Patriots Day in April," said Kleckner.

It's run by a private organization and runs through several communities. Officials said they're in discussions with the state. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has said things are ever changing. Gov. Charlie Baker said he expected a decision on it to come soon.

Public Gatherings:

There are several community events, from worship services, to public meetings, and the task force will be looking into what may work for the community.

"It's not easy it's not a simple matter, we're taking it cautiously," said Kleckner.

School Events:

Right now school events, and sports are on. "This is something we're actively thinking about and working with," said Lummis. "Every day I ask Dr. Jett if we should cancel them, and I haven't been advised to at this point. But this is a rapidly evolving situation."

Once something changes, said Lummis, his office will send out an alert.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).