Published in the April 21, 2020 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Cars started lining up at 10 a.m. yesterday for the scheduled 11:30 mask giveaway event at the Galvin Middle School. At times, the line stretched over several blocks, winding down Main Street, past the CVS and all the way down West Water Street.
Over several hours, the town distributed about 9,000 masks for use against the COVID-19 virus to local residents over 60 years old and those with underlying medical conditions. The operation ran like a well-oiled machine, as residents were able to utilize both the Main Street and North Avenue entrances to the Galvin Middle School driveway.
Wakefield Police officers stood by each entrance and kept traffic flowing smoothly in both directions. Numerous town officials and town employees lined both sides of the driveway, handing the masks out as drivers pulled up. Each vehicle was provided with a bag containing three masks, with a maximum of two bags per vehicle.
If you were unable to attend yesterday’s event in person, you can call 339-219-4311 and leave your name, phone number, address, and email address (if applicable) to arrange delivery. The town will be hand delivering masks today and tomorrow to those individuals that called. The Health Department and Council on Aging will also be delivering supplies of masks to senior housing complexes located at the Lincoln School, Hart’s Hill, and 101 Broadway.
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 yesterday’s event, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has released a video to explain how to create one from household fabric.