Massachusetts coronavirus rates by city and town: High-risk cities band together to curb virus
The four cities identified by the state as “highest risk” for the coronavirus are banding together in an effort to stop the spread as they continue to post positive test rates well above the state’s average.
Leaders from Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere — the four communities in the state’s “red” zone with an average daily case rate of at least eight per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days — hopped on a call with top state officials including Gov. Charlie Baker and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders on Wednesday to discuss strategies to combat the virus in their cities.
Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo said it’s a “combination of things” that have landed the four cities that were among the hardest hit by the first wave of the coronavirus back in the hot zone.
“You have fatigue that has set in with the community. You have people who may be hearing the message and may not be doing the responsible things we’re asking them to do. And there’s the fatigue with the gatherings and the parties,” Arrigo said.
The state and local municipalities are now working on a regional approach that will include additional resources for enforcing mask and gathering orders and changing up messaging to better combat pandemic fatigue.
Of the four high-risk communities, Lynn was the worst off, with a two-week average daily case rate of 24.3 per 100,000 residents, according to data released for the first time by the state Department of Public Health on Wednesday. Chelsea was next with 19.2, followed by Revere with 18.4 and Everett with 11.2. The state’s incidence rate was 4.01.
Lynn’s 14-day positivity rate also jumped this week to 7.47%, up from 6.12% the week prior, according to city and town data released each Wednesday by DPH. Everett ticked up to 4.98% from 4.82% last week.
Revere’s 14-day positivity rate trended down for the third week in a row, coming in at 5.5% this week after being at 6.05% last Wednesday. Chelsea also ticked down this week, with a 4.52% positivity rate compared to 4.93% the week prior. The state’s 14-day positive test rate was 1.75%
Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria issued an executive order Monday requiring masks in all public places in an effort to decrease his numbers. But he also attributed his city’s “red” status in part to thousands of residents not documented in the Census, who therefore don’t factor into the population data used in the state’s methodology.
“I am not happy myself having to wear a mask everywhere I go. But I do it,” DeMaria said. “I do it in case I could possibly come in contact with somebody. And possibly if I did have it, I don’t want to transmit it.”
Sean Philip Cotter contributed to this report.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/30R38oF
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