Everyone living in this city, except a very few who refuse to take heed of the virus by not wearing face masks, should be congratulated for waging war with the coronavirus.
What began as a halfhearted fight early on has developed into a serious citywide effort to curb the virus and to do this by social distancing and wearing face masks.
The local Health Department has done a stand up job of implementing all state mandates to provide for social distancing and hygienic standards that were intended to keep the virus from taking over the well-being of the city’s residents.
A drive through Everett today or a walk downtown now reveals a population almost entirely wearing masks, and the virus under control here.
A visit to our stores, our banks, our retail outlets and restaurants reveals the same careful adherence to state policies and to city regulations.
In some parts of the nation, Americans delude themselves into believing not wearing a facemask is a show of freedom.
In Everett, much of the population understands that freedom is not about refusing to wear masks. It is about wearing masks not wanting to catch the virus, to bring it home and to share it with the extended family.
This is the clear difference between living in Massachusetts and living in those states where governors are still trying toclaim like the president that everything is fine.
Everything is not fine.
The virus is bound to return here.
It is inevitable.
At least we know how to control it and work together to achieve some measure of safety from it without feeling we’ve given up our right.