Winthrop hires COVID-19 inspector to ensure businesses, public follow public health protocols

WINTHROP, Mass. — Winthrop’s public health director Meredith Hurley says they’re taking a more active approach to enforce COVID-19 protocols.

“If you’re in a high-risk community like we are here in Winthrop, you have a different set of standards than lower risk communities are,” said Hurley. “So just to make sure there’s no confusion.”

The town just hired a new COVID-19 inspector to check on businesses and the public to make sure they’re following the rules.

“We field multiple emails, phone calls about either concerns for overcrowding in a specific restaurant or in a specific store or at a specific park,” said Hurley.

Hurley says this new inspector can hand out fines of up to $300 for residents, and up to $500 for businesses not following COVID-19 restrictions.

“Is that realistic? Maybe not,” said Hurley. “We’d rather prevent that by having hand sanitizer, and providing the person with a mask and saying, you know we’re in a high risk community, please do your part.”

Winthrop is a high risk area, designated in the “red” by state standards with cases on the rise recently.

Hurley hopes this new inspector will crack down on the gatherings they’re seeing, especially with holidays like Halloween quickly approaching.

She says so far they’ve already issued two citations for big backyard parties, where people weren’t wearing masks.

“We know COVID’s being spread through close contacts, small gatherings, large gatherings, unmasked gatherings, so we just really want to put an end to that,” said Hurley.

Hurley says this new inspector job is a temporary part-time role that’s funded through the rest of the year, but depending on the COVID-19 numbers over the next few months, they could reassess expanding this role if needed.

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