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Town of Winthrop Announces New Location for Free COVID-19 Testing for Residents

jgprstaff Uncategorized
Town of Winthrop Announces New Location for Free COVID-19 Testing for Residents

Town Manager Austin Faison and Public Health Director Meredith Hurley announce the free COVID-19 testing for residents will now be conducted six days a week at the McKenna Basketball Courts.

As of Tuesday, Winthrop has 379 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Twenty four residents have died, 339 residents have recovered from the disease and 16 additional residents are in isolation with suspected cases.

As of Wednesday, Sept. 9, the average case rate for Winthrop has been 8.7 cases per 100,00 residents in the last two weeks, an overall increase from the prior rate. During this time, over 2,600 tests have been administered as well.

Due to this case rate, the Commonwealth continues to identify Winthrop as a “high risk” community for COVID-19. In response to the designation by the state, Winthrop officials have partnered with state leaders to establish a “Stop the Spread” testing site six days a week at the McKenna Basketball Courts.

All community members are urged to take part in the free COVID-19 testing now available at the McKenna Basketball Courts, 5 Walden St. Previously, free testing was being offered behind the E.B. Newton School.

Testing is available at this site on the following days and times:

  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 2-7 p.m. (drive-through)
  • Tuesday and Thursday from 2-7 p.m. (walk-up)

Testing providers are able to provide information in English and Spanish.

“This testing will help provide us with an accurate picture of the prevalence of the virus in our community and allow us to formulate a plan to best stop the spread,” Hurley said. “We strongly encourage all residents to get tested if possible, and thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we navigate through this challenging time.”

Residents should also take the necessary safety precautions to reduce the spread of the virus, such as wearing a face mask or covering when in public and maintaining a social distance of 6 feet from those outside your household.

Winthrop residents are reminded to visit WinthropCOVID19.com, which serves as a dedicated town resource for information on the pandemic.

Winthrop Police Arrest Alleged Fentanyl Dealer

John Guilfoil Uncategorized

WINTHROP — Chief Terence Delehanty and Deputy Chief John Goodwin report that the Winthrop Police Department, after a lengthy investigation, arrested and charged an alleged fentanyl trafficker and opiod dealer.

CHRISTOPHER PARK PFEIFFER, AGE 23, OF WINTHROP was arrested and charged with:

  • Trafficking a Class A Substance 10 Grams or More (Fentanyl)
  • Possession of a Class B Substance (Suboxone)
  • Possession of a Class B Substance with Intent to Distribute (Adderall)
  • Possession of a Class E Substance (Steroids)
  • Possession of a Class E Substance with Intent to Distribute (Gabapentin)

“This suspect is a known drug dealer and well-known to police,” Deputy Chief Goodwin said. “I would like to commend our Winthrop Police Detectives for their patience and diligence in building a successful case that should send a message to anyone looking to peddle deadly drugs in our community.”

Over a period of several months, detectives made multiple controlled drug purchases from PFEIFFER. After being granted a search warrant for PFEIFFER and his residence, officers made the decision to approach PFEIFFER outside of his home and detain him, rather than trying to “breach” the door. This was done for the safety of officers, the suspect and anyone else who might be inside the home. At 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26, officers approached the suspect and detained him without incident. Then, using a key, they entered his residence on George Street and executed the search warrant.

Officers found various drugs, a quantity of cash, a scale and various drug paraphernalia during the search. PFEIFFER was arrested without incident.

PFEIFFER was booked at the Winthrop Police Department and held pending arraignment at East Boston District Court where he was arraigned and released on $1,500 bail.

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

 

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Town of Winthrop Revises Approach to Center Business District Infrastructure Project

jgprstaff Uncategorized

Town Manager Austin Faison announces that the Town of Winthrop has revised its approach to the Center Business District Infrastructure Project (CBD) to eliminate resident and business water disruption. Any notices received by residents last week pertaining to a scheduled water shut-down on April 7 should be discarded. The Town will provide uninterrupted water during all necessary infrastructure work.

Phase One of the CBD will begin as planned on Monday, April 6. During this time the construction team will install insertion valves in the water main to prepare the project for Phase Two, which includes the construction and implementation of a temporary water main.

The temporary water main will enable the Town to complete water and drainage work on Pauline Street and Woodside Avenue between Pauline Street and French Square and will be used in future phases of the project where existing water pipes need to be removed from service to be replaced with new pipes. In addition, the temporary water main will be connected to some homes and buildings in the area to supply uninterrupted water service to residents and businesses while future CBD phases are being completed.

“The COVID-19 public health crisis has required us to rethink so many aspects of our day-to-day lives, including many changes to day-to-day operations of the town. It was clear that we needed to step back and reconsider our approach to the water shutdowns associated with the Center Business District Infrastructure Project,” said Faison. “Understanding the need at this critical time to maintain the ability to continually wash hands and sanitize, we worked with the Department of Public Works and our project partners to develop a new plan that maintains uninterrupted water to all residents and businesses while still providing the ability to continue to move ahead with a much needed infrastructure improvement project. As we start this significant project, we’ll be working proactively to identify locations where construction impacts pose a problem, and will respond quickly to troubleshoot those issues.”

The Center Business District Infrastructure Project will improve water, sewer and drainage infrastructure in the French Square area; and provide street level amenities to the business district. The multi-phased project is scheduled to be completed in November 2021.

To view the most updated version of the timeline of work for the Center Business District Infrastructure Project and to view other project details, residents are encouraged to visit the Projects, Plans and Presentations section of the Town of Winthrop website

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