In the News: 6 videos to help you make sense of the coronavirus outbreak

From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Check out videos including a hands-on experiment using black pepper and soap to show the importance of washing your hands to an analysis of the accuracy of pandemic scenes from film and TV. Or check out scientists to historians talking about coronavirus, the flu and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

In times of confusion and misinformation, knowledge is power. With the novel coronavirus dominating headlines and the news changing by the hour, though, it can be difficult to determine fact from fiction.

Here are six informative, accessible videos to help explain the spread of the pandemic."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200329/watch-6-videos-to-help-you-make-sense-of-coronavirus-outbreak


And from the CDC: https://youtu.be/TjcoN9Aek24

Why wash your hands for 20 seconds? 3 video links worth watching

https://youtu.be/-LKVUarhtvE





https://youtu.be/9Ay4u7OYOhA





https://youtu.be/qPoptbtBjkg




The Town of Franklin Coronavirus Information Portal:
https://www.franklinma.gov/home/urgent-alerts/coronavirus-information-portal-updates-here

Coronavirus Information Portal - multiple updates

Letter from Town Administrator, Jamie Hellen and the Superintendent of Schools, Sara Ahern regarding Coronavirus
https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department/files/memo-ta-superintendent

* Residents please be informed that the over 1.3 Million square feet of municipal facilities (ie. Schools, Town Hall Building, etc.) are being sprayed every weekend with commercial grade disinfectant to help mitigate the spread of germs. This practice will continue for the foreseeable future.

The Town of Franklin is keeping up to date with the latest information related to the novel Coronavirus as it becomes available. This site will be updated regularly with information from State and Federal agencies. Please check back frequently.

The Town of Franklin will be cleaning and sanitizing all public buildings every weekend. There are many things you can do to prevent the transmission of COVID - 19 and other of viruses. Please follow the tips found here:

1. Keep a distance of 6 feet from people, especially individuals who are showing signs and symptoms of upper respiratory infection
2. Keep a small bottle of alcohol based (60%) hand sanitizer for travel. Rub over entire hands until hands are dry.
3. Wash hands with warm or hot water and soap for 20 seconds.
4. Try as hard as possible to not touch eyes, ears, nose, mouth, especially if you one has not washed hands recently.
5. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, discard tissue and wash hands thoroughly.

The following links provide up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Massachusetts Department of Public Health
https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

Center for Disease Control (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Frequently Asked Questions
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html



Best Practices for Prevention and Treatment 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

Steps to prevent illness
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

Messages from Superintendent Dr. Sara Ahern (March 8th, Feb 28th)
https://www.franklinps.net/district/superintendent/pages/messages-superintendent-regarding-coronavirus


Franklin Police Response to COVID-19 (March 13, 2020)
https://www.franklinma.gov/police-department/news/2020-franklin-police-response-covid-19

Senior Center/Council on Aging COVID1-19 update (March 10, 2020)
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/cvupdate.pdf

How to clean your smartphone (and other computer hardware)
https://www.franklinps.net/district/educational-technology/files/how-clean-your-smartphone-and-other-computer-hardware

Please follow this link for information from Monica Bharel MD MPH, Commissioner of the Department of Health: https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department/pages/corona-virus-information

 

Coronavirus Information Portal

Franklin Public Schools: Update on Coronavirus from Superintendent Ahern

March 8, 2020

Dear Franklin Families and Faculty/Staff,

I am writing with a follow-up communication to the February 28, 2020 letter to the community. As a district, we continue to remain informed of the health advisories being issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and other agencies. We also continue to communicate internally among administrators, teachers, our local Health Department, School Nurse Leader, and consulting School Physician. Nursing staff are monitoring illness within the student body and are prepared to react appropriately. Our response continues to align with agency guidance.

MDPH continues to communicate that the immediate risk to the general public remains low. The Town of Franklin has developed a Coronavirus portal, where the public can access the latest information:
https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department/urgent-alerts/corona-virus-information-portal

We continue to remain vigilant about keeping a clean school environment. Our custodians are engaged in the regular cleaning of schools, as they routinely do during cold and flu season. They have also augmented this regular cleaning with additional cleaning and sanitization of hard surfaces. They have also made sure that the hand-sanitizing stations, located across all schools, are full and operable. We continue to reinforce that ill students and staff should remain at home.

We learned over the weekend that two staff members, who are asymptomatic, have been asked to self-quarantine after having attended a function with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. One staff member works at Horace Mann Middle School and one at Annie Sullivan Middle School. We have sought guidance from MDPH on this matter and are assured that we do not need to take additional steps at this time. Out of an abundance of caution, custodial staff were called in on Sunday to conduct an extra round of cleaning and sanitization of both Horace Mann Middle School and Annie Sullivan Middle School, as well as the common spaces shared with Oak St. Elementary and Keller Elementary schools.

Earlier in the week, Governor Baker urged schools to cancel international spring field trips. Franklin does not currently have an overseas trip planned for the spring; however, we have a trip to Switzerland and Germany planned for the summer. At this time, we have not cancelled travel plans but are remaining informed of cancellation guidance about summer international travel, as well as local, regional, and national travel. We are also remaining informed about any guidance that is issued related to large gatherings.

Undoubtedly, children are hearing a lot about the Coronavirus. This resource may be of assistance to you in addressing questions they may ask:
https://www.open-circle.org/what-s-new/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-coronavirus

As a reminder, here are some general precautions we all should take to remain healthy:

● Practice good hand hygiene. Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Use Alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
● When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. You can also cough or sneeze into your sleeve. Throw used tissues in the trash and immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
● Avoid sharing drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, dishes, towels or other items. Wash these items thoroughly with soap and water after use.
● Avoid close contact with people who are sick whenever possible.
● Practice other good health habits: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Again, please keep children home from school when they are ill. If your child has any of the following symptoms please keep them home from school: temperature greater than 100, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, any rash not yet diagnosed by a physician, red or pink itchy eye, and/or drainage from eye, and any contagious illness such as chicken pox, strep throat or flu. We also ask that staff stay home when they are ill in order to prevent the spread of infections.

The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to be an evolving situation that we are following closely. We will keep you informed with updates and information that become available to us. We continue to seek out information, sharing it as appropriate, and following all recommended guidelines to ensure the safety of our students and staff, as we are deeply committed to their well-being.

Sincerely,

Sara E. Ahern, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools

This was shared from the PDF copy received. You can download a copy here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KY2DY_kSW-0dgxgxSlqVDKbE58E2ATqf/view?usp=sharing

Superintendent Ahern speaking at HMMS on the demographics study 3/5/20

"everyone should do their part to stay healthy and prevent the spreading of germs"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The state Department of Public Health Monday night announced a presumptive positive case of COVID-19, known as the coronavirus, contracted by a woman who recently traveled to Italy.

The woman, in her 20s and who lives in Norfolk County, had recently traveled to Italy with a school group, according to a statement issued Monday night by the state agency.

The woman was recovering at home. According to the agency, the woman’s test results came back positive Monday evening.

Specimens will be sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, if confirmed, it would be the second confirmed positive coronavirus case in Massachusetts since the outbreak started in the United States in January. In its statement, the agency said the risk to COVID-19 remains low in the Bay State."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200302/state-health-officials-announce-new-presumptive-positive-case-of-coronavirus


Qualified resources:

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

MA Dept of Health   https://www.mass.gov/influenza

Franklin Board of Health  https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department

Franklin Public Schools: Information about Coronavirus

February 28, 2020

Good morning Franklin Families and Faculty/Staff,

We are aware that many families and staff members have concerns and questions related to the news of the recent outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and how it may impact our local schools and community.

As a district, we are remaining informed of the health advisories being issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and other agencies. 

For your reference, you may wish to view the following links, which are providing regular updates and recommendations:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.mass.gov/guides/information-on-the-outbreak-of-2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19

https://www.mass.gov/guides/information-on-the-outbreak-of-2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19#-printable-fact-sheets-

While this is a public health concern, the CDC and MA DPH continue to report that the immediate risk to the general public remains low at this time.

Please see the attached letter for additional school-based information related to prevention.

Kind regards,

Franklin Public Schools

 

Franklin Public Schools: Information about Coronavirus

Important links for information on the Coronavirus.

The CDC is updating information related to the Coronavirus on their website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html This site is updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can sign up to receive e-mail alerts related to the Coronavirus on the same site.

You can also find the latest information about the virus from the Massachusetts Department of Health at https://www.mass.gov/guides/information-on-the-outbreak-of-2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19

Printable fact sheets are available here: https://www.mass.gov/guides/information-on-the-outbreak-of-2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19#-printable-fact-sheets-

Important links for information on the Coronavirus.

FM #204 - Health Director Cathleen Liberty talks about mold (audio)

FM #204

This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 204 in the series, that we are now producing in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

Health Director Cathleen Liberty talks about mold, what to be concerned about, hoping to dispel some of the misunderstanding around mold and calm some fears about mold. Mold is a naturally occurring thing.

People with sensitivity to mold can have some health issues caused by it. MA does not have a ‘mold standard’. Bleach does not get rid of mold and may actually worsen it. Mold can be cleaned thoroughly with soap and water. If mold is on cloth, it may not be worth keeping. Mold is a stubborn substance.

The Board of Health can only enforce prevention of the water source or remediation of the water source/leak.

Contact the Board of Health if there are questions about mold. Contact info for The Town of Franklin Health Dept is included in the show notes https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department

As mentioned we also provide a link to the Centers for Disease Control page with information on mold https://www.cdc.gov/mold/

Without further ado, here is the recording of my conversation with Cathleen discussing mold, it runs approx 10 minutes

https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HXYRYvVX



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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like this, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Centers for Disease Control page with information on mold https://www.cdc.gov/mold/

“It’s not likely that a single brand is responsible for this outbreak”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Health officials investigating a nationwide outbreak of vaping illnesses have listed, for the first time, the vape brands most commonly linked to hospitalizations.

Most of the nearly 2,300 people who suffered lung damage had vaped liquids that contain THC, the high-inducing part of marijuana.

In a report released Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed the products most often cited by patients, noting that some of them said they vaped more than one.

Dank Vapes was the brand used by 56% of the hospitalized patients nationwide.

Dank is not a licensed product coming from one business, it is empty packaging that can be ordered from Chinese internet sites. Illicit vaping cartridge makers can buy the empty packages and then fill them with whatever they choose."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20191206/officials-list-pot-vape-brands-reported-in-us-outbreak/1

Bold text added by Franklin Matters. This confirms the conversation shared at FHS PCC meeting where the panel reviewed the vaping issue. That audio recording is available for replay anytime.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/11/fm-182-fhs-pcc-everything-you-need-to.html
 
Additional information can be found on the CDC page
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html

“It’s not likely that a single brand is responsible for this outbreak”

In the News: Going to the CDC for help on EEE; commuter rail $10 weekend fare popular

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The prevalence of Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts this year has prompted Gov. Charlie Baker to float the idea of broader prevention efforts next year and two MetroWest area members of Congress to ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information about funding and other assistance.

The state Department of Public Health on Friday announced an eighth confirmed case of EEE, in a man in his 50s from northeastern Bristol County. One human case of another mosquito-borne illness, West Nile virus, and eight confirmed cases of EEE in animals have also been logged so far this year.

Public health officials have been advising residents to continue taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites - wearing bug spray, long sleeves and pants, and staying inside between dusk and dawn - even as the weather gets cooler in September.

On Thursday, U.S. Reps. Joseph Kennedy III and Katherine Clark wrote to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield, noting that hundreds of mosquitoes across Massachusetts have tested positive for the virus and the number of confirmed human cases in the state “has already exceeded the national average of cases reported to the CDC annually.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190914/baker-us-reps-plan-for-broader-eee-prevention-efforts

"The commuter rail’s $10 unlimited weekend pass has quickly become a popular option for travelers with more than half a million sold since it was introduced in May 2018, though it remains unclear how much the ticket type has affected overall ridership, officials said.

Keolis, which is under contract to operate the MBTA commuter rail network for the next three years, announced Tuesday that customers purchased 584,000 weekend tickets over the past 16 months.

The company did not provide exact numbers linking the new option to financial growth, but said in its press release that commuter rail revenue has increased 25% over the last four years.

Keolis also said it would be difficult to quantify overall weekend ridership before and after the new pass was piloted and then made permanent, but that the $10 unlimited ticket contributed to some growth."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190913/keolis-weekend-passes-add-rail-revenue