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Virus deaths soar in Lynn, Peabody
By Gayla Cawley | April 28, 2020
Lynn and Peabody saw a surge in deaths over the weekend and Marblehead reported its first virus fatality on Monday as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the region.
The Lynn Public Health Department reported Monday there have been 14 additional deaths in the city since Friday, while Peabody is reporting 12 more people have died over that same time period.
That brings the COVID-19 death tolls in Lynn and Peabody to 45 and 59 respectively, according to city data.
Although deaths are higher in Peabody, which has a much smaller population, the total number of confirmed virus cases is significantly higher in Lynn.
As of Monday, there have been 616 cases in Peabody. In Lynn, the number of confirmed cases is 1,589.
However, data shows the day-to-day increases in Lynn were much lower over the weekend than the spikes that were seen last Thursday and Friday.
Lynn reported 60 new cases on Saturday, 62 on Sunday and 37 on Monday. By comparison, the 115 new cases reported last Friday was the city’s largest day-to-day increase since the outbreak began. Not far behind was last Thursday, when there were an additional 110 cases.
The trend appears to have been similar in Peabody. Although there was a surge in deaths, there were only 45 new cases since last Friday.
Elsewhere, as of Monday, Lynnfield has 67 COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths, Marblehead has 117 cases and one death, Nahant has 29 cases and three deaths, and Saugus has 270 cases and 10 deaths, according to their respective town websites.
In Saugus, there have been three additional deaths since last Friday and the town’s Health Department expects cases to continue to rise as the state is in the midst of its coronavirus surge, according to Gov. Charlie Baker.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this health pandemic,” reads a Saugus Health Department statement.
As of Monday, Revere is reporting 1,064 cases and 35 deaths.
According to city data, approximately 28 percent of Revere’s cases are from people over the age of 60, 37 percent are between the ages of 40 and 59, 31 percent are between the ages of 20 and 39, and 4 percent are from people under the age of 19.
Of the 35 deaths in Revere, 23 were over the age of 80, eight were between the ages of 60 and 79, three were between 40 and 59 years old and one was under 40.
New data from the city’s contact tracing team, which has been in place since March 16, shows that 181 people initially tracked as associated persons have been confirmed as positive cases.
“The work done in Revere to establish contact tracing from the city’s very first confirmed case of COVID-19 is helping us achieve two critical goals: containing the spread of the virus to the best of our ability, and laying the groundwork for a safer and more controlled reopening of the city, when the time comes,” said Dr. Nathalee Kong, Chair of the Revere Board of Health, in a statement.
“This dedicated team of nurses is achieving remarkable results and the residents of Revere are fortunate to have them working on behalf of their health and safety.”
As of Friday, Swampscott is reporting 77 cases and three deaths. Just a day after the town’s first death was reported, two more deaths were reported on Friday.
“Over the next few weeks, there will likely be more,” said Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald in a statement. “Now, these losses have really hit home. These losses remind us all how essential it is to continue our efforts and work to protect each other during this outbreak.
“While we express our deepest condolences to the families and friends grieving their loved ones during this difficult time, we must stay strong and continue to be safe.”
Item staffer Anne Marie Tobin contributed to this report.