Board of Health mandates food handler certification

Board of Health · Meeting of September 16, 2026

Lawrence Board of Health votes to require every food handler, not just managers, to carry a food safety certification. Chairman Dr. Joel Gorn and the board unanimously adopted the inspectional services department's proposal, presented by food inspector Carla Frias, who said untrained staff were driving cross-contamination and temperature violations citywide; the basic certificate costs under $15 and takes less than an hour online.

The board also unanimously appointed city inspector Michael LaFrance, a seven-year employee who worked on then-Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 compliance task force, as a Board of Health agent. Gorn said Massachusetts has logged seven West Nile virus cases and 41 positive mosquito samples this year with no cases in Essex County, and flagged a new statewide kratom ban, now a Class 1 drug substance, that gives retailers until November 28 to clear inventory.

A resident, Suheydi Amonte, asked the board to help her sister's microblading business get around a zoning rule that blocks licensed instructors from training new practitioners in Lawrence, calling it a "great city to grow" that she wants her sister to stay in; the board agreed to look into drafting a letter to the Zoning Board.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 1,935 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.