Local area positive rate still high
By JOSH RESNEK
Everett is among a number of Massachusetts cities and towns continuing to deal with higher positivity rates of virus infecting the population.
The struggle in Everett, as it is in neighboring Revere and Chelsea, is to extinguish the virus.
However, due to the closeness of life in Everett and other cities and towns where large families live together in smaller spaces in extremely crowded neighborhoods, the virus continues to flourish.
Any community reporting a positivity rate higher than 3% is red flagged by the State Department of Public Health. Accordingly, public schools in Revere, Chelsea and Everett will all be going to a remote learning platform to dull the increased spread of the virus.
The highest positivity rates shown in the state are Lynn, 6.12%, Revere, 6.05% and Brockton, 5.12%.
The second tier of the highest places includes Chelsea, 4.93% and EVERETT, 4.82% and Saugus, 4.37%.
The third tier includes Winthrop, 3.85% and Malden, 3.27% and a half dozen cities and towns throughout the state.
Everett’s higher positivity rate explains the city’s face mask mandate announced over the weekend and put into effect Monday.
The higher rate is also expected to impact certain aspects of the economy tied to the partial reopening of businesses that exists at the present moment.
The state positivity rate as of Sunday was 1.8%.