City of Revere Response to COVID-19: March 29, 2020 Update

Positive Cases in Revere Reach 83

Along Revere Beach, Mayor Arrigo Urges Social Distancing, Restaurants Shift to Delivery-Only

The City of Revere’s Emergency Response Team continues to take proactive steps to slow community transmission of COVID-19 and prepare for further spread of the virus. 

As of today, March 29, 2020, the Revere Board of Health has been notified by the Massachusetts Department of Health of 83 positive cases of COVID-19 in the City of Revere. This increase represents a significant jump from the beginning of the week, when the city had just eight cases. 

As part of continued efforts to slow the spread in Revere, the City’s Inspectional Services Department on Saturday morning conducted outreach to all restaurants along Revere Beach Boulevard, encouraging them to end take-out services until further notice. Each establishment has either voluntarily shifted to a delivery-only model or closed. 

Mayor Arrigo also took to Revere Beach Boulevard Saturday afternoon in the Mobile City Hall van, using a bullhorn to urge the public to abide by social distancing guidelines and take the increase in cases in Revere seriously. 

“I’m grateful to our partners in the restaurant industry who are taking the difficult but necessary step of ending take-out services along Revere Beach,” Mayor Arrigo said. “We’ve been doing everything we can to urge residents to do their part by staying home and abiding by social distancing guidelines when they must go out. There needs to be a community-wide effort if we are going to slow this concerning trend in Revere.”

The Mayor is being briefed daily by members of his Emergency Response Team to coordinate efforts across City departments. He and City officials continue to join daily briefings with state and federal officials to coordinate containment strategies regionally. All updates for Revere residents are being shared regularly at Revere.org/coronavirus and via social media.

City Services Updates

• Mayor Arrigo declared a State of Emergency in the City of Revere on March 19, 2020.
• There are no disruptions to basic City services provided by Revere Police, Fire, EMS, Department of Public Works and Revere 311. 
• Residents should subscribe for email and text message notifications at revere.org/coronavirus.
• Revere 311 remains fully staffed and residents with questions or concerns are encouraged to reach the City by dialing 311 (or 781-286-8311) or emailing [email protected]. 
• All City buildings are closed to the public until further notice, and services to residents remain available at Revere.org. 
• All City parks and playgrounds are closed until further notice. 
• Revere Public Schools’ grab-and-go meal services are available to all students and families at all eight school sites. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to any child that needs it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Children will receive meals for multiple days at each pick up.
• A mutual aid informational packet for residents is now available on Revere.org, providing a wide range of resources related to issues like access to food, health care, transportation, housing rights and more. The online document will be updated daily at 4 p.m.
• The City of Revere has published a page that outlines resources for impacted small businesses, employers, non-profits, and/or workers. The page will be updated by City staff on an ongoing basis. 
• The City of Revere’s volunteer database is open for individuals seeking to lend a helping hand over the next several weeks. 

Actions for All Revere Residents to Take

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued a “Stay At Home” Advisory for all residents, and Governor Baker has prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people. Stay at Home means avoiding any unnecessary travel and activities for the next two weeks. Residents over the age of 70 or with underlying health conditions should limit interactions with other people as much as possible. 

The Centers for Disease Control has advised the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus, and has provided a number of basic steps all citizens can take to protect themselves, including: washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with those who are sick, staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.