By Journal Staff
The Revere Board of Health held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, September 24, in the City Council Chamber at Revere City Hall. Chair Dr. Drew Bunker, fellow members Viviana Catano and Kathleen Savage, Director of Public Health Lauren Buck, Health Agent and Director of Inspectional Services Michael Wells, and Board of Health Clerk Paula Sepulveda were on hand for the session.
Buck presented the Public Health Communicable Disease Monthly Report. She said that during the month of September, “There was a very low burden of communicable diseases in Revere, though COVID is ticking up. Nationally, the fall respiratory illness season has begun and surges of COVID are being seen across the country. If you are a high-risk individual, it is worth getting vaccinated right now.”
Buck also noted that norovirus, the notorious stomach bug, is on the rise again. Buck added that the Mass. Dept. of Public Health has recorded the seventh case of West Nile Virus in the state. She warned that Revere’s risk category for the life-threatening virus transmitted by mosquitoes is “high” and will remain so until the first hard frost of the season. She urged residents to take precautions because the weekly mosquito spraying in the city has concluded for the year.
Buck announced that the Health Department once again will be offering in-home vaccinations for respiratory diseases for individuals who are home-bound, as well as for their caregivers. To schedule an appointment, call 781-485-8486.
Flu shots also are available to the general public on Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. in the public health office at City Hall in September and October. Walk-ins are welcome.
Buck presented the board with the opioid death data that recently was released by the state. She said the city saw a 57% reduction in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2025 compared to 2024, continuing the downward trend of the past four years. More impressively, the 10 deaths in 2025 were just 33% of the 30 deaths recorded in 2022.
Buck presented a chart of opioid overdose deaths in the city over the past 10 years that showed an up-and-down trend over most of that time period until the clear downtrend of the past four years: There were 28 deaths in 2016, 24 in 2017, 15 in 2018, 28 in 2019, 21 in 2020, 26 in 2021, 30 in 2022, 27 in 2023, 23 in 2024, and 10 in 2025.
“Obviously, one overdose death is one too many, but we are on track to achieving zero overdose deaths in the city,” said Buck.
Buck cited a number of steps the city has taken in the past few years that have contributed to the sharp decline, including the city-wide availability of Narcan boxes, a “street-medicine” doctor who is contracted with the city to assist with rapid treatment and other primary care medical interventions, increased weekly hours for outreach workers who are out in the streets reaching out to the homeless population, the addition of a high-intensity case manager who helps people maintain housing, a sober home scholarship program, and an increase in the funding for basic needs for unsheltered persons.
Wells presented the monthly report of the Inspectional Services Dept. Wells said that in September, ISD issued 78 certificates of fitness for housing units; performed 15 reinspections; and conducted five interior complaint inspections and five reinspections. There also were two pool and spa inspections and reinspections.
In the food department, ISD performed 44 routine food inspections, four reinspections, three complaint inspections, two pre-opening inspections, and 50 temporary food inspections. There also was one establishment closure.
In the exterior sanitation division, ISD agents issued 350 total citations for trash violations; two for carts out at improper times, 55 for overflowing dumpsters; one for a commercial vehicle in a residential neighborhood; 20 for junk heaps, dumps, and automobile graveyards; seven for multiple unregistered motor vehicles, five for rodent harborage; and 133 violations for unclean and unsanitary land, which is overgrowth.
Buck concluded the meeting with an update regarding the enforcement of the ban on the sale of kratom products that the Board of Health enacted locally in the early summer and that the state, by means of an Executive Order by Gov. Maura Healey, enacted at the end of August.
Buck said that city officials conducted spot-checks at a large number of stores throughout the city and only one store was found to be in violation of the new regulations. She said the products from that store were confiscated and the owner was issued a warning.