Ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, today Mayor Brian M. Arrigo shared positive updates on the work being done to protect the health and safety of Revere seniors, and urged residents to remain vigilant in their actions this week. New data shows that, in addition to the City’s efforts, Revere seniors are doing their part to protect themselves from COVID-19.
The distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases across age groups in Revere closely mirrors the distribution of cases in the Commonwealth, with the exception of Revere seniors. A testament to Revere seniors’ receptivity to public health messaging, just 10.73% of Revere’s positive cases over the past 30 days are in residents over the age of 60, compared to 16% statewide.
“Since the beginning of this pandemic we have worked to prioritize our most vulnerable neighbors in all of our public health initiatives,†said Mayor Arrigo. “Of course, none of our work would make a difference were it not for the cooperation and sacrifices of our residents. To everyone doing their best to stop the spread, I offer my sincere gratitude. I’m asking our residents to please not let down their guard for Thanksgiving, especially when it comes to older adults – this is one trend we need to continue.â€
On Monday, November 23, the City recorded 16 new cases of COVID-19. The City is averaging 29.4 new cases per day over the past 7 days. Residents ages 20-39 account for 42.68% of cases in the City—the largest share of any age group—while ages 40-59 and 0-19 comprised 29.18% and 17.42% of cases respectively. Eighty-eight percent of the City’s 112 Covid-19 related deaths have been residents over the age of 60.
The City of Revere has undertaken a number of programs and initiatives aimed at keeping Revere’s seniors healthy and well:
Spreading joy on Thanksgiving: Last week, a robocall from the Revere Senior Center went out to 3,000 seniors offering them the opportunity to receive individual Thanksgiving meals prepared by a local restaurant. Meals will be delivered to residents’ homes and participating restaurants include Dryft, Valsos, DeMaino’s, Antonia’s, Volare, and Istanbul Diner Café.
Protecting against the flu: The City vaccinated several seniors for the flu at a clinic held at the Senior Center on October 20. Seniors were also strongly encouraged to get their flu shots at their local pharmacy. Several more homebound seniors were reached on Friday, November 20, when the City’s public health nurse Lauren Buck made house calls to provide vaccinations.
Continuous outreach and support: The City of Revere’s COVID Ambassadors have undertaken a phone banking campaign to reach thousands of Revere seniors personally, notify them of the current risk level and connect them to resources like food delivery, housing assistance and PPE.
Collaboration with long-term care and senior housing facilities: Early in the pandemic, the City established working relationships with leadership at all senior and long-term care facilities in the City, providing additional guidance from the Board of Health and offering support through mobile testing. More recently the City and Board of Health held calls with each facility to review tightened safety measures in preparation for a surge in community spread.
Maintaining wellness programming: While the Rossetti-Cowan Senior Center remains closed due to the pandemic, the City provides ongoing outreach and support to our senior neighbors through telephone, online, and RevereTV programming. The City has delivered thousands of meals to seniors throughout Revere. Seniors have also received PPE and wellness information at our flu clinics and in congregate living facilities across the City.
