THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, July 23, 2021 Page 13 MPD hosts annual Junior Police Academy The Special Operations Unit of the Malden Police Department is shown with the first class of this year’s Junior Police Academy. (Photo Courtesy of the Malden Police Department) Delta variant targeting those without COVID vaccine By Christopher Roberson W ith the recent rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant, doctors at area hospitals suggest that this strain of the virus can attack anyone who has not been vaccinated – and it will do so with ease. Delta is a staggering 225 percent more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus and the other variants that have surfaced. “It is almost exclusively infecting unvaccinated individuals,” said Dr. Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, division chief of infectious diseases at Cambridge Health Alliance. “This variant has demonstrated improved fitness and is expected to increase.” Although there have been instances of Delta breaking through the vaccine, Bruno-Murtha said, the probability of a vaccinated person becoming infected remains quite low. “Fully vaccinated individuals are very well protected against the Delta variant,” she said. “Only 0.1 percent of breakthrough infections in Massachusetts are attributed to Delta and by and large, have been mild infections not requiring hospitalization.” To date, 63 percent of Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bruno-Murtha said Delta is most likely to flourish among groups of unvaccinated individuals. “Local clusters will emerge, particularly where unvaccinated individuals gather now that masking and physical distancing in public areas is no longer required,” she said. “Masking and other mitigation strategies may need to be implemented locally, in response to increases in community transmission rates.” Looking ahead to the 20212022 school year, she strongly recommended that masks continue to be worn and that parents and school staff be fully vaccinated as well. Unlike last fall, Bruno-Murtha said remote learning is not the answer this year. “Our children will do better by returning to the classroom,” she said. “Although some cases will continue to occur in the foreseeable future, testing and contact tracing should limit clusters and enable public health and school officials to react quickly.” Dr. Scott Dryden-Peterson, an attending physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said Delta is now responsible for the majority of the state’s COVID-19 infections. Although studies remain ongoing, he said, the Delta strain appears to be more severe. “If community rates of COVID-19 continue to increase, either from Delta or another variant, increasing use of masks and distancing would be a good idea,” he said. “I advise my older patients and those with conditions that place them at risk to continue to wear masks in public indoor spaces, even after vaccination.” Dryden-Peterson said getting vaccinated will continue to be crucial, particularly since the upcoming school year is expected to be in-person. “To make schools as safe as possible, we should encourage vaccination of adults and older children to protect children who cannot yet be vaccinated,” he said. Therefore, until a pediatric vaccine becomes readily available for children under the age of 12, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children, ages two and older, wear masks. ATTRACTIONS | FROM PAGE 1 brought some welcome news in announcing that Starbucks is coming to Malden. Mayor Christenson said he, the residents of Malden and those from around the region who frequent downtown Malden and the MBTA Malden Center Orange Line station – located across the street from where the new Starbucks will be located – could not be happier. “Since I came into office (in 2011), Starbucks was our most requested franchise, and we have been on the hunt for all these years,” Mayor Christenson said in an online report. I’m pleased to see that J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. Starbucks recognizes the value of having a store located in Malden Center and we look forward to having them serve our residents for years to come.” Boston-based real estate developer Berkeley Investments has been rehabbing and reconfiguring the old Bank of New England building at the corner of Exchange, Commercial and Centre (Rt. 60) Streets for the past two years; Exchange 200 is a four-story, 300,000-square-foot, mixeduse building directly across from the Malden Center MBTA Station. Exchange 200 now ATTRACTIONS | SEE PAGE 19 S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping
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