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Grim news continues as virus deaths mount
By Gayla Cawley | May 1, 2020
Additional COVID-19 deaths were reported in Lynn, Saugus and Swampscott on Thursday.
Lynn reported another resident has died, which brings the city’s virus death toll to 47. Saugus reported two more deaths, and another Swampscott resident has died, which brings their totals to 13 and seven respectively.
A day after data released by the Department of Public Health (DPH) showed Lynn had the fourth highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, the Lynn Community Health Center announced it had expanded its walk-through testing to all city residents on Thursday.
The walk-through testing clinic, which is located across the street from the health center in the Element Care parking lot at 9 Buffum St., had only been open to health center patients before the expansion.
Since the clinic opened last week, the health center has been conducting about 140 COVID-19 tests per day, but plans to increase capacity up to 500 tests per day as needed, according to a LCHC release.
Testing is only available to residents and patients who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. Medical staff will conduct a phone screening for symptoms, and if testing is needed, residents will be referred to the outdoor clinic.
A nurse will schedule follow-up appointments, and patients who test positive can also expect a call from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Community Tracing Collaborative to ask about others who may have been exposed to the virus, according to LCHC.
Although the DPH reported Wednesday that Lynn has 2,056 COVID cases, the city reported Thursday its caseload was much lower, at 1,804.
However, city data indicates that 1,804 is the number of confirmed “active” cases in the community, which means that 230 residents who have recovered and the 47 deaths are not accounted for in the total reported.
When factoring in those figures, Lynn’s total number of cases, as of Thursday, is 2,081, with 71 new active cases confirmed.
Although data shows the majority of the city’s COVID-19 cases are residents between the ages of 20-60, the elderly are dying at the highest rate.
Forty-three of the city’s 47 deaths have been residents between the ages of 61-101. No one under the age of 40 has died — two residents between the ages of 51-61 and another two aged 41 to 51 have succumbed to the virus, according to city data.
Saugus reported an additional seven cases on Thursday, which brings its total to 305. Lynnfield reported two more cases on Thursday, bringing its total to 75. Deaths remained unchanged at 10.
Swampscott has 97 cases, according to the DPH, and the additional death reported by the town Thursday continues its grim two weeks. After lasting the entire initial outbreak without a fatality, seven have been reported over the past two weeks.
Nahant’s numbers remained steady at 30 cases, with five deaths. At press time, Marblehead, Peabody and Revere had not reported any updates. As of Wednesday, their numbers stand at 118 cases and one death; 661 cases and 69 deaths; and 1,126 cases and 35 deaths respectively.
Earlier this week, Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo announced the Raise Up Revere Fund as part of a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package for the city. Initial funding includes $1.7 million worth of U.S. Community Development Block Grants and private donations, Arrigo said.
The fund was started with an initial $250,000 seed contribution from an anonymous benefactor. Relief efforts will focus on meeting both the immediate and longer-term needs of families and small businesses.
Another initiative announced by Arrigo is #RevereHeroes, a series to spotlight city residents who are going above and beyond during the pandemic. A new hero will be recognized on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the city’s social media pages.
The first heroes featured are Revere firefighters from Engine 4, Ladder 2 who rescued two residents trapped on the second floor of a burning building earlier this month.
“The stories I’ve heard over the past several weeks of people stepping up to serve our community, despite the unprecedented challenges we’re all facing, has been truly inspiring,” Arrigo said in a statement. “Revere Heroes is our way of recognizing all the incredible acts taking place across our city every day. We’re going to get through this together thanks to all of the people who are choosing to put others first.”
The public can nominate city heroes at [email protected].