SALEM, Mass. — “Hateful” messages directed at Board of Health members in the City of Boston have been reported to the city’s police department.
“These actions are unacceptable, repugnant, and worthy of condemnation by everyone, regardless of your perspective on the COVID mitigation measures enacted and modified by the Board of Health to help protect public health,” according to a joint community statement released by the city.
“Over the past several weeks, members of the Salem Board of Health and Health Department staff with names perceived to indicate that they are Jewish have been directly targeted by hateful, antisemitic messages and threats online, by email, and over voicemails. These attacks have been reported to the Salem Police Department and the Anti-Defamation League,” according to the statement.
The statement is signed by Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, Congressman Seth Moulton, local state senators, city council members. and board of health members among others.
“As community leaders in Salem, we stand united to express our unequivocal rejection of these antisemitic attacks, our condemnation of attempted intimidation – especially when it so clearly focuses on targeting an individual based on their race, ethnicity, or religion – and our solidarity with our neighbors who volunteer and serve our community thoughtfully, diligently, and objectively on our Board of Health and the staff in our Health Department who support them in that work,” said the statement.
Salem, like many other cities and towns, has been grappling with mask mandates, and other pandemic-related challenges. The city had reinstated its mask mandate in late December 2021.
[ Salem Board of Health puts off mask mandate vote, study shows masks could prevent more COVID deaths ]
The city voted to drop its mask mandate earlier this week. The move took effect immediately.
[ Salem becomes latest Massachusetts city to drop mask mandate ]
“The Salem Board of Health has and will always make decisions on Covid mitigation based upon the science and data available,” said Board chair Dr. Jeremy Schiller in a statement after the vote. “These metrics are analyzed on a daily basis and consequently, given the current local hospitalization numbers and ICU capacity, it warranted revisiting these measures. Given the dramatic decline of Covid hospitalizations and increased ICU capacity, the Board felt it was prudent to lift the mask mandate and the vaccine requirement. These powerful tools remain effective at protecting oneself and our community against Covid and we strongly encourage those not vaccinated or fully vaccinated to do so. On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank all those helping to keep Salem safe.”
“COVID has taken the lives of 115 of our neighbors here in Salem and impacted the lives of many thousands more here,” said Mayor Kim Driscoll. “I am incredibly grateful for the expertise and thoughtfulness of our Board of Health. They have and will continue to make decisions driven by science and data, aimed at protecting public health in the best interest of our community. Salem has been a leader in responding to COVID, from the very outset of this pandemic. From testing options, to piloting wastewater and school testing programs; from stepping forward to stand up a regional homeless quarantine site, to establishing mask and testing requirements during our busy October season. We will continue to respond to the data and never lose sight of our primary goal: keeping Salem safe, open, and strong.”
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