Government

Watertown Moves into High Risk for COVID-19, Health Director Asks Residents to Remain Vigilant

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Watertown moved into the Red, or high-risk, category in the most recent Mass. Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 reporting. The Watertown Health Director fears that people are suffering from “COVID fatigue” and have become lax about taking measures to stop the spread of the virus. In the latest data from the MassDPH, Watertown has an average of 55.8 cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days, which was up from 51 per 100,000 the previous week. The number that moved the Town from “yellow” to “red” was the positivity percentage of tests, which was 5.14 percent (up from 4.7 percent the previous report).

Around Town

Supporters Thank State Rep. Jonathan Hecht for Years of Service to Watertown

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Newly retired State Rep. Jonathan Hecht thanked the supporters who gathered outside his home to thank him for his work representing Watertown for almost 15 years. Longtime 29th Middlesex State Rep. Jonathan Hecht received a serenade some of his biggest supporters on Wednesday, who thanked him for his 12 years representing Watertown on Beacon Hill. Supporters from Watertown and Cambridge sang Hecht a song thanking him for his work on Beacon Hill, including the improvements to the Charles River Park, the Watertown/Cambridge Greenway bicycle and pedestrian path, support for clean energy, transportation and health care. Hecht came out of his home, still bleary eyed from his last day as state rep, which lasted until the early hours of Wednesday. He told the gathering of about two dozen people the day had been a strange and bittersweet one.

Schools

COVID-19 Numbers Low in Watertown Schools, Officials Look at When to Increase In-School Time

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The Watertown Public Schools have significantly lower COVID-19 positive test rates than the Town, and more than two-thirds of students and staff are participating in the district’s free testing program. Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the staff and students tested in the district’s pool testing is 0.15 percent, which is below the most recent positivity rate Townwide, which was 4.4 percent as of Dec. 28. She discussed the COVID-19 rates and the testing program, along with what factors will be considered when looking at increasing the amount of in-school learning during Monday’s School Committee meeting. Galdston credits staff and students taking the COVID-19 protocols seriously for the low rates of the virus.

Around Town

COVID-19 Cases Slightly Down in Watertown, Positive Test Rate Up

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The numbers of new cases of COVID-19 in Watertown dropped slightly in the most recent community-by-community report by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), but the percent of positive tests rose. The number of cases over the prior 14 days in the Dec. 24 report (released on Dec. 31) was 236, down from 241 the prior week. The drop was the first since the DPH’s Sept.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Vehicles Broken Into, Small Fire at Business

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

None

Incidents

Watertown Police received one report of unemployment fraud for the week of Dec. 21-27. Dec. 21, 6:25 p.m.: An employee of a company on Pleasant Street was supposed to receive a Samsung Galaxy tablet, but did not get it.

Schools

Watertown Schools Starting 2021 Remotely, COVID-19 Testing Available for Students

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Public School:

Due to our desire to kick-start our new year off well, we will be focusing on testing students and staff who may have traveled or spent extended time with people outside of their immediate household prior to the return to in-person learning. In order to accomplish this, we will start the year in our remote learning model, Monday, January 4 through Wednesday, January 6, with a return to in-person learning on Thursday, January 7. In addition to our protocols for social distancing, PPE, handwashing, and staying home when sick, student testing is one of the safety measures that has allowed us to remain open. To date, we have processed 3698 staff tests, with 5 positives, and 317 pools of up to 10 students in each pool withonly 3 positive pools. The indication from these tests is that less than .15% of our students and staff that are part of our testing program have tested positive.

Around Town

COVID Vaccinations Coming Soon to Watertown Senior Living Community

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People living at The Residence at Watertown Square senior living community will be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine. {Updated on Jan. 4, 2021 at 4 p.m. with new testing day}

The residents of a senior living community will be some of the first people in Watertown to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The first shots are expected to be given to residents and staff at The Residence at Watertown Square on Jan. 22, 2021, said Ted Doyle, a spokesperson for The Residence, which is part of LCB Senior Living.

Business

Watertown Restaurants Cooking Something Up for New Year’s Celebrations

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Several Watertown restaurants have special menus planned to ring in 2021. City Works & Pour House will host a Brew Year’s Eve event on Dec. 31, 2020 with a special menu, including filet medallions, short rib and Cajun linguine. See more details here. Branch Line will be cooking up special meals to take home to celebrate New Year’s Eve, including entrees of prime rib or lobster thermidor.