National Preparedness Month Week 2: Prevention!

Twenty years ago this week, a series of terrorist attacks resulted in the deaths of almost 3,000 people directly and over 2,000 more from secondary effects. One of the initiatives that sprang from the country's response to these attacks was the Medical Reserve Corps, resulting in hundreds of groups like the Weston Emergency Reserve Corps serving their communities throughout the U.S. As COVID's domestic death toll reaches well over 130x that of 9/11/01, we take a moment of silence to remember all those who have died from causes natural and human-made and to recommit ourselves to Prepare to Protect in every way we can.

This second week of National Preparedness Month, the focus is on Prevention. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While we will always need to prepare for the unexpected, there is a lot we can do to prevent - or at least decrease the likelihood of - crises arising in the first place.

Public health depends on strong preventive practices, and the current pandemic is the perfect example of their importance. As has been circulated widely, including by the Town of Weston's Board of Health, the best ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from a COVID-19 infection, including the highly-transmissible delta variant, which has been detected in Weston, are to:

• Get vaccinated - Safe, effective vaccinations are available for free for everyone aged 12 and older. See https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine
• Wear a mask - It is well-documented that wearing a face covering, preferably in the form of a well-fitting mask, can significantly decrease the spread of COVID-19.
  • Unvaccinated and not yet fully vaccinated individuals over the age of 5 are advised by the Department of Public Health to continue to wear a mask in indoor public places and when they can’t socially distance.
  • Fully vaccinated individuals are advised to wear a mask or face covering when indoors outside of your home if you have a weakened immune system, are at increased risk for COVID-19, or if someone in your household is at increased risk or unvaccinated.
  • Masks are still mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail, school busses and transportation stations), in healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.
  • Masks are required to be worn indoors in K-12 school buildings in Weston effective 8/19/21 by faculty/staff, students, and visitors to aid safer return to full time, in-person school this fall. Each school will send/make available their own COVID-19 response protocols to enrolled families
• Seek testing - if you are symptomatic or have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
• Activate MassNotify on your smartphone - This private and anonymous service notifies users of a potential exposure to COVID-19 so they may take the appropriate precautions
• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer when washing isn't an option

Get a Flu Shot - Flu season is arriving once again. While good COVID-19 preventative practices might help us avoid influenza, getting a flu shot adds one more layer of protection. Why take unnecessary chances of getting sick with anything, especially during a pandemic? Flu shots are safe and covered by almost all forms of health insurance. They are available now through many pharmacies, medical offices, and will be given by appointment at Weston's annual flu clinic. Watch for more information about that soon.

Beyond public health, Weston is committed to a sustainable future. Natural disasters do not stop because of a pandemic, and our efforts to curtail their severity shouldn't either. The Presidential Proclamation on National Preparedness Month, 2021 clearly lays out climate change as being just as insidious a cause of future crises as other threats, natural and man-made.

As we face the surging threats of climate change, it’s clear that our Town needs to take bold action in the face of the climate crisis to try to prevent the most dire impacts. That action is Weston Ahead, the Town’s first Climate Action and Resilience Plan. There are five areas in the Weston Ahead plan that have been identified that will help enhance Weston's resilience. Each topic defines the goals, what you can do to help move Weston Ahead, as well as metrics in measuring our success in achieving net zero. Will you install solar at your home? Will you plant a pollinator garden? Will you commit to buying local food?

Visit Weston's Sustainability Planning page for information about Weston Ahead and the other initiatives underway thanks to Kortni Wroten, the Town’s first Sustainability Coordinator, as well as Weston's Sustainability Committee and SWAG, the Sustainable Weston Action Group. In fact, SWAG is having its first meeting of the '21-'22 year this Thursday, Sept. 9th 9:15-10:30am via Zoom (information here).

Lastly, for a great overview about how preparedness and sustainability initiatives overlap in Weston, see Kortni's recent Weston Ahead blog post here. No matter what our roles or focus areas, we are all in this together.