OP-ED: ‘I Am Proud of How Framingham Is Weathering This Storm’

By Mayor Yvonne Spicer

FRAMINGHAM – This morning there was an Op-Ed urging me to issue a curfew and face mask order for Framingham.

As the Framingham Mayor, I’m in regular contact with State Officials, Town Managers, and other Mayors to evaluate and discuss measures to impact safety. From the Governor’s office to MA legislatures to other local municipalities, collectively, our goals are the same, to keep all of our residents safe and do what is necessary to maintain the resources to achieve that objective. Some of the strategies we discuss are right for Framingham, and some are not.

On the local level, I host daily emergency management meetings that include state legislators, city council leadership, division heads, and Mayor’s office staff. In this meeting, we have discussed both of these topics.

Everyone who attends is aware that the Framingham Board of Health is holding an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss Face Masks and other safety protocols.

We’ve also talked about the potential value of a curfew during the daily meeting. I have spoken with the Mayor of Lynn, Thomas McGee, and City Councilors from Boston about the curfews they have implemented in their
respective Cities. I also have received input from Framingham Chief of Police Steve Trask.

Framingham has different resources, geography, and demographics than several other communities.

Right now, creating a curfew for Framingham does not make sense at all to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Yesterday, we released information about people testing positive recently for COVID-19 in Framingham.

Based on the City’s data, they are coming primarily from three groups. Those are workers at essential businesses; close contacts of existing cases, especially those who live with people who have already tested positive and find it difficult to isolate in their current living environment; and residents under the State’s custody.

For our new cases coming from “close contacts,” the City is now housing those who have tested positive so they can isolate away from their household members. We also are working to create safety protocols for essential workers.

A curfew would not address any of this.

One sentence from this morning’s Op-Ed that resonated with me is, “times of crisis test who we are as leaders and bring out a community’s unique strengths and greatest vulnerabilities.”

I’m proud of how Framingham is weathering this storm from developing plans to address food insecurity to reaching out to local businesses and seniors to taking actions to ensure social distancing.

We will get through this together, Framingham!