Published in the April 17, 2020 edition.
WAKEFIELD — The Town of Wakefield has secured a limited supply of personal protective masks and will hold a drive-up distribution event for our most vulnerable residents on Monday, April 20 at 11:30 a.m. The event will take place at the Galvin Middle School and is open to Wakefield residents aged 60 or older and residents with underlying health conditions. Note that these are not N95 or surgical masks, which must be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. If you are interested in wearing a face covering but are not within the vulnerable populations serviced at this event, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has released a video to explain how to create one from household fabric.
Residents will not need to exit their vehicles and should utilize both entrances to the school driveway; the Main Street entrance if traveling southbound or the North Avenue entrance if traveling northbound. Each vehicle will be provided with a bag containing three masks, with a maximum of two bags per vehicle. Police detail officers will be on site for traffic management.
If you are unable to attend the event in person, you can call 339-219-4311 and leave your name, phone number, address, and email address (if applicable) to arrange delivery. Our Health Department and Council on Aging will be delivering supplies to senior housing complexes located at the Lincoln School, Hart’s Hill, and 101 Broadway. These residents need not attend the event.
Distribution will run through 2 p.m. or until supplies are depleted.