Why was Wellesley COVID-19 test site dropped?
By 
When CVS rolled out a nationwide COVID-19 testing program last week, its Wellesley store on Linden Street was on the list of 10 participating Massachusetts outlets. Hours later the store was off the list.
What happened in those few hours is the focus of some speculation in the wealthy suburb west of Boston.
The official story is that the town and CVS jointly decided to cancel the testing initiative because of the pharmacy store’s location. “Town officials were concerned about the density of this specific location as it’s in Wellesley’s main shopping plaza, which includes a large Roche Bros. and many restaurants,” said Stephanie Hawkinson, the town’s communications manager, in an email. “The parking lot is very crowded and social distancing – even outdoors – is very difficult. We learned about the CVS plan from residents; as far as I know, CVS did not consult with our Health Department prior to announcing its list of sites.”
CVS apparently didn’t think advance notice was needed, in part because of the way the COVID-19 tests were going to be conducted.
The new testing sites announced last week by CVS – and by Gov. Charlie Baker, who was unveiling a dramatic ramp-up in testing statewide – are very different. After making an appointment and verifying eligibility for the test online, patients drive up to the pharmacy window, take a test kit from the pharmacist, and swab their own nose in their car. (The new swabs are much shorter and only have to be inserted into the nose, not down the throat.)
The patient then puts the swab in its transport container, returns the container to the testing kit, and places the testing kit in a larger container outside the store. The kit is sent off for testing and results come back in three days. CVS can do a maximum of 50 tests a day.
“We recognize that increasing the frequency and efficiency of testing are critical to preventing spread of the virus and contributing to a responsible reopening of our economy,” CVS spokesman Joe Goode said in a statement. “Our new approach has the capacity to conduct five drive-thru tests per hour, and is akin to picking up prescription medication at one of our drive-thru windows. It’s safe for both patients and health care professionals and allows us to bring testing closer to the community.”
In other words, no big traffic jams and no social distancing needed.
Yet Hawkinson, the Wellesley official, said traffic was a concern. “The biggest concern was bringing more cars into an area which is already quite crowded,” she said. “In addition, our public health officials were slightly worried about the temptation for someone who was getting tested to consider going to Roche Bros. for supplies and possibly spreading the virus.”
Not everyone buys that explanation. At The Swellesley Report, a website and Facebook page where the tagline is “more than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.,” a story on the disappearance of the Linden Street test site prompted some consternation.
“Very disappointed in the town,” said Mary Jameson. “Testing sites are needed and this is a clear ‘not in my backyard,’” she said.
BRUCE MOHL
BEACON HILL
Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito launch their cautious, phased reopening. (CommonWealth) On church reopenings, a muted “amen” as many religious leaders say they will move slowly and carefully in opening up. (CommonWealth) Reopening rules are pretty detailed. (CommonWealth) A Berkshire Eagle editorial suggests reopening shouldn’t be one size fits all — that if COVID-19 cases surface in the Boston area that shouldn’t mean Berkshire businesses have to shut down.
For Baker, his reopening plans fit his centrist political philosophy, but it means he takes shots from the left and the right. (CommonWealth)
Joan Vennochi says Baker may be going slowly in reopening the economy, but he was fast to sign-off on legislation limiting the legal liability of nursing homes, where more than 60 percent of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have occurred. (Boston Globe)
The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicts tax revenues will fall off much more dramatically than forecasted just a month ago, largely because the pandemic is lasting longer than expected and a second surge is likely. (CommonWealth)
MUNICIPAL MATTERS
Framingham reports three more deaths at nursing homes, which account fore 82 percent of the city’s deaths. (MetroWest Daily News)
An Oxford gym reopens, defying Gov. Charlie Baker’s orders, citing clients’ mental health needs. (Telegram & Gazette)
Quincy Animal Shelter is bracing for a flood of animal surrenders. (Patriot Ledger)
HEALTH/HEALTH CARE
Worcester plans to decommission the DCU Center as a field hospital this week, with only nine patients remaining there. (MassLive)
Four researchers and consultants say there are lots of challenges presented by the idea of universal coronavirus testing in nursing homes. (Boston Globe)
WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
Although President Trump has begun groundlessly accusing his predecessor, Barack Obama, of being the most corrupt president in US history, his attorney general said he does not envision any charges being forthcoming against Obama or former vice president Joe Biden. (AP)
President Trump threatens to cut off all payments to the World Health Organization if unspecified changes aren’t made. (Washington Post)
Trump said he’s been taking the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine, despite the lack of evidence that it’s helpful against coronavirus and known risks, including cardiac problems. (New York Times)
The firing of the State Department inspector general is drawing more questions, including from congressional Republicans. (Washington Post)
A Georgia church shuts down after reopening as families come down with coronavirus. (Christian Post)
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
Restaurant owners are unhappy with Gov. Charlie Baker’s lack of guidance around when they can reopen. (MassLive)
Business owners are hopeful but wary as they look toward the state’s lengthy reopening process. (The Salem News) Lots of employers will not be asking workers to return to offices right away, despite the green light to do so. (Boston Globe)
Child care centers, which can’t open until June 29 at the earliest, are in limbo. (Boston Globe)
Recreational marijuana shops prepare to reopen May 25. (Telegram & Gazette)
EDUCATION
Facing financial difficulties, UMass Amherst is requiring staff to take furloughs and offering voluntary buyouts. (MassLive)
Northeastern University is facing a $5 million class action lawsuit filed by a student who says she was cheated out of tuition money when the spring semester abruptly shifted to “subpar” online classes. (Boston Herald)
ARTS/CULTURE
The Herald News has a photo essay of drive-in movie theaters of times gone by, and some that are operational and could be getting a boost from being allowed to reopen soon.
TRANSPORTATION
Transit advocates seek more independence for the Fiscal and Management Control Board, including the ability to issue debt. (State House News Service)
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
Pollution declines during the pandemic aren’t nearly as large as early indications suggested, according to an NPR analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data. (WGBH)
Nearly $12 million in building rehabilitation and septic system projects are in the works for the Cape Cod National Seashore. (Cape Cod Times)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts sues Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson to get video of the confrontation with immigration detainees. (WBUR)