Page 4 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 2020 | FROM PAGE 3 ing to prevent the spread of the virus.” Forty-eight hours after a local state of emergency was declared in Malden, DeMaria decided to follow suit. He said the purpose of Everett’s state of emergency, which took eff ect on March 20, was to “facilitate and expedite the use of resources to protect persons from the impacts of COVID-19.” Under the state of emergency, the following types of businesses were required to close unless they could provide services at a minimum distance of six feet: hairdressers, barbers, nail salons, gyms, health clubs and yoga studios, private instructor classes, such as driving and tutoring schools, and spa-type services for cosmetic purposes that are not deemed medically necessary. “As a city, as a state, as a nation and as an international community, we are faced with an unprecedented time,” said DeMaria. “Day-by-day, hourby-hour, the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are evolving.” DeMaria also reminded residents that although City Hall was closed, its departments were still remotely accessible. “A shutdown does not mean a slowdown,” he said. “While this pandemic poses a major test of our collective fortitude, together Lawrence A. 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DiFlorio was not overly concerned about the fi scal challenges that the city could face as a result of prolonged business closures. “What’s more important, money or health?” she asked. “I’m sure we’ll fi gure out a way.” Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro also backed the mayor’s state of emergency declaration. “The administration has kept an open line of communication with the City Council,” he said. “We have all been working collectively to ensure services can still be delivered to the residents.” Although Ward 1 Councillor Fred Capone agreed with the state of emergency, he described the fi nancial ramifi cations of so many businesses closing their doors. “Closure of businesses is always of concern, especially as many small businesses operate on very thin fi nancial margins,” he said. However, Capone said that as with any crisis, COVID-19 would ease up at some point. “When it does, our lives will go back to normal,” he said. “A community is only as strong as its residents, and we in Everett are blessed with many wonderful individuals.” After just nine days on the job, Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani ordered the Everett Public Schools to shut down on March 12. From there, Tahiliani launched a remote learning plan and began the process of distributing thousands of Chromebooks to Everett’s students. She also joined dozens of cafeteria employees at Everett High School on March 16 as the district began offering students free lunch while school was closed. “The only meal they may get is at school,” she said. Anthony Carli was sworn in by City Clerk Sergio Cornelio as permanent chief of the Everett Fire Department. (Advocate photo by Christopher Roberson) School Committee Vice Chairman Frank Parker said COVID-19 had compounded the existing obstacle of providing students with nutritious food. “Without a crisis like this, food security is an issue; there’s a kid right now going hungry,” said Parker. “There’s some challenges out there, real challenges.” Encore closure The rapid spread of the virus also toppled the mighty $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor for what would become a fourmonth closure. “The health and welfare of our guests and employees has been our primary concern throughout this health crisis,” casino offi - cials said in a written statement. “Encore Boston Harbor has been operating in excess of the safety recommendations of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].” Encore also vowed to continue paying its full-time employees. A small group of staff members would remain at the casino to continue sanitization procedures and to keep the property secure. Through the lens of a CHA doctor At the Everett campus of Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), Dr. Erin Beaumont recorded a series of videos documenting what her life had been like as she and her colleagues braced for the dreaded COVID-19 surge. “When I left yesterday, our ICU [intensive care unit] was full, and we haven’t even come close to starting our surge yet,” she said before going into work at 4:48 p.m. on March 24. “I don’t know where we’re going to put these people; I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Beaumont continued to describe her feelings of apprehension in her March 26 video recorded at 11:30 p.m. “We’re just waiting – we’re sitting here waiting for the inevitable terribleness that we know is going to happen,” she said. In her final video, recorded on March 29 at 2:30 a.m., Beaumont said the hospital had been bombarded with a torrent of emergency patients earlier that night. “All of a sudden, we just got overwhelmed, ambulance after ambulance,” she said. “Our ICUs are full, our fl oors are full, the emergency room is full.” Governor Charlie Baker said the COVID-19 surge was expected to begin sometime between April 7 and April 17. April As the change in shifts was 2020 | SEE PAGE 5 Prices subject to change H Happy FLEET
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