Revere Fire Capt. Robert Fortuna, the city’s liaison for the Quality Inn Quarantine Hotel for COVID-19 patients, has announce that the hotel will close on June 10 at which point the facility will be returned to hotel management.
The last patient must either be medically released or transferred to the EnVision Hotel, a state-run facility for COVID-19 isolation in Everett.
The hotel partnership agreement developed between Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo and Chelsea City Manager Thomas Ambrosino will also end on June 10, according to Fortuna.
Fortuna said that Adrienne Maguire, RN, and a Revere school nurse, “was charged with the challenging task of vetting, qualifying and referring Revere people to be patients at the Quality Inn.
“Adrienne told me that initially there was some hesitancy by family members to stay at the facility,†related Fortuna. “But once there, noting the level of MGH staff and care on site, combined with not having to worry about meals, their comfort level overwhelmingly changed.â€
Fortuna said that most importantly the underlying premise and motivation for opening a quarantine site locally was realized and deemed a success by the medical community.
“Patients at the Quality Inn were able to avoid passing the disease to family members, their young children, and those living with them who were immune compromised,†said Fortuna. “The plan most certainly helped to control the spread of the virus for these families.â€
During the course of the hotel being used for COVID-19 patients, Revere referred 32 people to the Quality Inn, while 147 patients from all cities found refuge and isolation there.
Fortuna, who is also the director of emergency management and planning, said that emergency management preparation is the key to mitigating a situation before it has overwhelmed your ability to react and control it.
“The facility at the Quality Inn was a bold step in addressing the growing number of COVID-19 positive cases and one of the many taken toward the success of limiting the spread of the virus,†said Fortuna.
