THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2021 Page 7 Local doctors weigh in on latest spike in COVID-19 cases D By Christopher Roberson octors at area hospitals agree that the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases was triggered not only by the variant forms of the virus, but also by countless individuals who have grown weary of living with a pandemic for the past year. On April 1, the state Department of Public Health reported that 55 communities were in the red category of COVID-19 transmission. Everett has slipped back into the red category with a positivity rate of 5.3 percent. Saugus is also in the red category with a positivity rate of 6.1 percent. Malden and Revere are in the yellow category with positivity rates of 3.9 and 3.8 percent, respectively. “Variants are contributing to the increase in cases in Massachusetts,” said Dr. Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, division chief of infectious diseases at Cambridge Health Alliance. “The more infectious B.1.1.7 variant (UK variant) is increasingly being identified in Massachusetts and the P1 variant (Brazilian variant) is also beginning to increase.” On April 4, renowned epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm made a bold prediction on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Let me say that, at this time, we really are in a category five hurricane status,” he said. “At this point, we will see the highest number of cases reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic. We’re just at the beginning of this surge; we haven’t even really begun to see it yet.” Despite her deep respect for Osterholm, Bruno-Murtha said she is “more optimistic for Massachusetts.” “We have maintained a state mask mandate and our vaccination program has been increasingly efficient,” she said. “As of April 5, 38 percent of residents have received at least one vaccine.” She also said that time is of the essence regarding the MassFiscal slams state Congressional Delegation for cosponsoring politically motivated campaign finance legislation T he Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (MassFiscal) recently held a Zoom press conference calling out Massachusetts’s congressional delegation and urging them to withdraw their support for H.R. 1, a federal bill that would remove the bipartisan makeup of the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) and mandate that taxpayers would fund future political campaigns, essentially a bailout for politicians. MassFiscal was joined at the conference by Bradley Smith, a former Chairman of the Federal Elections Commission and one of the country’s most prominent authorities on election and campaign finance law. “Campaign finance law agencies should never become a partisan witch hunt shop, but that is exactly what would happen under this misguided legislation. It would break up the bi-partisan makeup of the FEC and make it into a politicized attack agency. The Massachusetts Congressional delegation would benefit greatly under these new rules because they would have a majority of Democratic members on the FEC shielding them from prosecution if they commit any wrongdoing,” said MassFiscal Spokesperson/ Board Member Paul Craney. “Additionally, the provisions in the bill that would mandate taxpayers to fund future campaigns is extremely problematic, and serves as a political bailout for Members of Congress. Voters should always be able to donate to the political candidates that best represent them, and their hard-earned tax dollars should not be used to support candidates whom they might disagree with,” said Craney. “HR 1 is the biggest threat to free speech in decades. It would suppress Americans’ First Amendment rights while subsidizing politicians’ campaigns with taxpayer dollars. It would expose citizens to harassment for their deeply-held beliefs while transforming the Federal Election Commission into a partisan agency under control of the president. Far from a bill ‘for the people,’ HR 1’s 300 pages of new rules and restrictions on speech are a gift to Washington insiders and high-priced campaign finance attorneys,” said Institute for Free Speech Chairman Bradley Smith. EHS girls basketball team wins GBL title T he Everett High School girls basketball team took home this year’s Greater Boston League championship with a 47-41 win over Lynn English on April 3. Everett’s Andrea Manley had 27 points while Maya Kirnon chipped in another 12 points, including two free throws late in the game, to help the Tide finish the season with an 8-1 record. ongoing rollout of the vaccines. “The quicker we administer vaccines, the sooner we will have the upper hand on this pandemic,” said Bruno-Murtha. “I remain hopeful we will not experience another surge in Massachusetts.” Dr. Brian Chow, an attending physician at Tufts Medical Center, said there are approximately 700 cases of the UK variant in Massachusetts. He said the Brazilian variant also gained a foothold following the recent outbreak on Cape Cod. “We are all very concerned about the trajectory of the number of cases, particularly in Massachusetts,” said Chow. “Whether the next surge arrives will depend on our actions today. Now is the time to act to prevent the next surge.” With Massachusetts now in the final phase of the Reopening Plan, Chow agreed with Bruno-Murtha that vaccinations must continue without delay. “We are in a race against time to get vaccines into arms,” he said. “It takes at least 14 days after the final dose of vaccine to be protected. For Pfizer or Moderna, that could be as long as five to seven weeks after the first dose.” Dr. Stephen Kissler of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said that while the variants pose a significant threat, another shutdown should not be necessary. He said that during the past year healthcare professionals have learned an incredible amount of information pertaining to the spread of COVID-19. For example, he said the probability of contracting the virus by going to the grocery store is fairly minimal, particularly when everyone is wearing a mask. In contrast, Kissler said indoor dining creates a much greater risk. “That’s the real concern that I have,” he said. Kissler also said there will likely be a short-term surge from those who went away for Easter or Passover. “I think we will probably see some surge,” he said. Dr. Benjamin Linas, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, said relaxing restrictions all but guarantees that the number of cases will escalate. “It is just a fact of life, like gravity,” he said. “Until we reach full herd immunity, this is just a law of nature.” Although Linas agreed with Osterholm about the possibility of a fourth surge, he continues to have a great deal of confidence in the vaccines. “We are in a truly novel position; we have never seen the epidemiology of COVID in the context of widespread vaccination,” he said. “It is definitely possible that we are in the first days of a surge, but it is also possible that the surge is ultimately truncated by successful vaccination efforts.” However, Linas said there is also the risk of variants develCOVID-19 | SEE PAGE 11 Andrea Manley scored 27 points in Everett’s 47-41 victory over Lynn English on April 3 to win this year’s GBL title. (File Photos) Maya Kimon scored 12 points in the GBL title game against Lynn English on April 3.
8 Publizr Home