NAHANT — On a sparkling Labor Day morning, Nahant Beach was the place to be.
Cars lined up on the Causeway to snag parking spots, walkers, runners and bike riders went up and down the sidewalks, some with a purpose and others just to take in the day.
That’s also where you would have found volunteer Renato Trombini of Everett, walking on the sand with a sign that said, “Save Lynn, Stop COVID-19.”
Trombini, a construction worker by day and the former president of the Brazilian Workers Center in Allston, was part of a team of state workers and volunteers who spent their holiday weekends hoping to plant the seed in the minds of people that the virus, which reached pandemic proportions in the United States last March, is still very much with us.
“Enforcement is a key component to our efforts to stop the spread, particularly in these communities with high incidence rates of COVID,” said Tory Mazzola, a spokesman for the COVID command center for the state.
“Our contact tracing shows that these large gatherings where people let their guard down are a leading contributor to spreading COVID,” Mazzola said. “Our collaborative efforts are tailored to each community, which includes enforcing parking at beaches, restrictions on gathering sizes at homes and ensuring social distancing at local parks. We all must remain vigilant by wearing masks and social distancing.”
The effort was part of the Baker-Polito administration’s latest initiative to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in communities across the Commonwealth with the highest number of positive cases, Lynn among them.
Sunday, the team, which included information workers Aline Martins of Malden and Kathleen dos Santos of Everett, both of whom stood at a table and handed out pamphlets and hand sanitizers to passers-by, had gone to Red Rock Park in Lynn but found that there was more action — and more opportunities to spread their message — at Nahant Beach. Over the weekend, they were in downtown Lynn and at several churches as well.
The initial plan was to have Trombini and crew ride up and down Lynn Shore Drive in a car, with a bullhorn, to exhort the beach-goers to start taking the disease seriously again. Instad, he chose to walk in the sand.
The Baker-Polito initiative focused on Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Lynn and Revere — the North Shore communities still designated “red” areas because of the high number of cases per 100,000 (more than seven).
There were approximately 35 field team members (composed in large part of volunteers from community groups) out this weekend helping to raise awareness in mask-wearing and other best practices. The teams are typically groups of three to five people who speak the local language in the neighborhoods where they are set up. This initiative will expand in the coming weeks.
“State officials (worked) closely with local police departments … to ensure residents adhere to restrictions on gathering sizes, keep it small, and avoid crowds,” Mazzola said.
There were also several enforcement initiatives focused on gathering sizes, particularly given the warm weather during the holiday weekend, Mazzola said.
