Only nearby Lynn, Revere and Chelsea have more
By JOSH RESNEK
The Coronavirus pandemic is nowhere near over, is spreading in many US states, still claiming 1,000 lives a day with approximately 40,000 new cases a day.
Public schools are about to open with six staffed learning centers to augment needs produced by entirely remote instruction, delivered by teachers in real time on computer screens.
Until November, and dependent on the factors measuring the virus, remote instruction is the substance of teaching for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.
Despite stringent requirements governing face masks and social distancing, and the continued restrictions against all gatherings inside restaurants and outside, Everett finds itself in the top four Massachusetts cities experiencing difficulties with the virus.
Everett ranks fourth in Massachusetts in the infection rate which stands at 4.26%. Lynn leads the top four with an infection rate of 6.08%. Chelsea’s is 6.07% and Revere at 5.51%, the Department of Public Health announced earlier this week.
The break down is worth paying attention to.
Everett logged 103 new cases during the past two weeks. Chelsea reported 189. Lynn 320 and Revere 235.
Individually the numbers don’t raise eyebrows. Added together, they give insight into the continuing scope of the virus infection roaming among us in this area.
A total of 774 new cases of the COVID-19 virus have been reported to health agencies in the above four cities during the past two weeks.
This rate of infection is not expected to end anytime soon.
Everett’s shared border with Revere and Chelsea creates a nexus of sorts for the virus and its ability to infect.
Lynn connects with Revere, which connects with Chelsea and Everett.
In all four communities the infection rate remains much too high.
The state’s rate is 1%.
Everett’s stands at 4.26%, as mentioned previously above.
Experts have said that lower income, immigrant type cities like Everett, Revere, Lynn and Chelsea cannot escape the trap set by larger families living tightly in smaller spaces, working menial jobs that require travel to work sites by bus or the subway which combines with language barriers and social customs to make virus eradication difficult at best and impossible at the worst.
The high unemployment brought by the economic shutdown which remains largely in force has caused a wider need for food.
The Massachusetts unemployment rate is the highest in the nation.
Everett’s two major food lines continue to cause huge traffic back-ups on Church Street onto Broadway and from the front of the Connolly Center back to Vine Street and further.
Many families are feeling the crunch.
City hall remains closed.
City business is conducted for those seeking services from a table set out in front of the backside of city hall.