SCAN FOR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
Community honors Veterans
Shop Local!
SCAN FOR AD INFORMATION
Check out our
Holiday Guide
NEWS | 27
PAGE 21
Locally owned and operated since 1974
Your community. Your news. Your paper. Shrewsbury · Westborough · Northborough · Southborough · Marlborough · Hudson · Grafton
Vol. 47 | No. 47 | November 19, 2021
School officials describe COVID-19 ‘cluster’ at Southborough’s Neary school
Families fill clinic as young children become eligible for COVID-19 vaccine
By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
SOUTHBOROUGH - An ‘cluster’ of COVID-19 recently prompted 23 individual cases in fifth grade classes at Margaret A. Neary School over two weeks, Southborough Public Schools officials said during a Nov. 8 School Committee meeting. Superintendent Greg Martineau said it was the first significant cluster of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic. “We saw cases here and there across our 10 schools, but this was the first true outbreak, for lack of a better word, or cluster that we’ve experienced as a district,” Martineau said.
NORTHBOROUGH - When Diane Gage came to help vaccinate children at a clinic at Melican Middle School, one of the children waiting was wearing a sign asking for Gage to give her the shot. “It meant the world to me,” said Gage, who is a nurse at Proctor Elementary School. That student was one of the nearly 900 children who were vaccinated in a two-day clinic for individuals ages 5 through 11 held at Melican on Nov. 5 and 6. Rushmie Nofsinger’s daughter was another one of those children who got the shot. The vaccination was easy, she said, as her children then colored while waiting for the following observation period to wind down. “We believe in the science,” Nofsinger said. “We think it’s important from a public health perspective and for the safety of our children.” Northborough Health Agent Kristin Black told the Community Advocate the health department had been planning clinics for some time. A clinic for the 5- to 11-year-olds was the logical next step, Black said, as those age groups became eligible for
District grapples with cluster The district was notified of the first of these cases on Oct. 25. That student had been both symptomatic and tested positive on Oct. 24. Southborough began contact tracing for both in-school and out of school close contacts. Two students were identified as testing positive through the contact tracing. A third was home with coronavirus symptoms while waiting for their test results. “At this point in time, when we had the two positives that were close contacts, we decided to consider the whole class a close contact,” Director of Wellness Mary Ellen Duggan said. Neary | 20
buy
believe dvocate
CommunityA
Doing our part to support local business.
Boylston firefighter Bill Weir gives Freddy Rizkallah his COVID-19 vaccine.
a holiday tradition continues Fall Fair returns to Westborough Senior Center
news | 3
Vaccine | 14
• Private Apartments • Homecooked Meals • New Friendships • Dedicated Staff • One Phone Call Away… AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY
99 Pleasant Street • Marlborough, MA 01752 • 508-281-8001
www.christopherheights.com
Apply Online LIMITE Today! D
AVAILA BILITY
PHOTO/LAURA HAYES
