CELEBRATING 30 YEARS AS REVERE’S LOCAL NEWSPAPER! Vol.30, No.38 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday Revere football rebounds with big win over Chelsea 781-286-8500 Friday, September 24, 2021 Mayor angered by Boston Public Health plan to relocate homeless to Revere By Adam Swift A plan to use the Quality Inn on Morris Street as transitional homeless housing by the City of Boston took Mayor Brian Arrigo by surprise, and he’s not happy about it. In a letter to Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) Director Dr. Bisola Ojikuta on Monday, Arrigo lambasted the plan to use the Revere hotel to help alleviate the myriad of homelessness and drug issues at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in Boston. “I am disappointed in the BosPats running back Addison Merida clears the way for an RHS running back. See page 10 for story and photo highlights. (Advocate photos by Paul Hammersley) New COVID-19 protocols help keep kids and staff in classrooms By Adam Swift W ith full classrooms in the Revere schools, district offi cials have been working overtime to make sure students and staff remain safe. During last Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Richard Gallucci updated members on the resources available and measures undertaken to keep COVID-19 cases low. Many of those resources are available on the district’s new website at reverek12.org under the Pandemic Resources link. “Often, we get the question of how many positive cases are in our schools and in our district,” said Gallucci. “We do have a COVID-19 dashboard that is updated daily by Jessica Gagnon, our head nurse, which really outlines each and every positive staff or student case in each building.” For the week ending Sept. 20, the dashboard shows that there were four positive student cases for the week in the Revere schools. The district also operates with a COVID-19 protocol document that was devised by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with input from Lauren Buck, Revere’s health director. “It really goes through any and all scenarios that might impact a family or a staff member,” Gallucci said. “It’s the protocols we follow as a district to make sure our schools are safe and sound and everyone is following the guidance by the Board of Health.” The district has also provided a daily screening tool, in both graphic and text form, that highlights the seven symptoms of COVID-19: cough, sore throat, fever, muscle pain, chills, shortness of breath or diffi culty breathing and a new loss of taste and/or smell. Parents and staff should do a quick screening every morning to see if there are any symptoms present. If a parent or caregiver is on the fence about sending a student to school, Gallucci said, they can always call the school nurse for further guidance. Gallucci also highlighted the district’s pool testing and “test to stay” programs, which help identify students or staff who may have come in contact with someone who has COVID-19. The test to stay program allows students or staff to take a daily Binax quick test every day for a week if they have had contact with a positive case that does not involve a household member. “The test to stay program is new this year and is so great,” said Gallucci. “It has allowed us to keep children in school that are probably negative, and we use the Binax rapid test to make sure of that for students and staff who are identifi ed as close contacts.” School Committee Member Carol Tye praised the eff orts of Gallucci, the administration, school nurses and the Board of Health for eff orts in providing a safe environment for students and staff . “It makes me so proud to see what a good job we are doing under the most diffi cult of circumstances,” said Tye. “That’s what’s always been great about Revere; everyone gets together, pitches in and attacks whatever the problem is.” ton Public Health Commission’s operations, communications, and accountability measures— or lack thereof—as they concern its ‘regional’ plan to address the disaster on Melnea Cass Boulevard by converting the Quality Inn Hotel at 100 Morris Street, Revere, to a homeless transitional center,” Arrigo stated in the letter. “I am deeply concerned about the chaotic nature of disinformation and have lost all confi dence in the Boston Public Health Commission to thoughtfully execute on an issue of such regional public importance.” The Revere mayor stated that people experiencing homelessness deserve the resources and intervention eff orts necessary for them to lead stable, fulfi lling lives, but that the actions taken by the BPHC place Revere’s commitment to these neighbors in jeopardy while also frustrating eff orts for the regional collaboration necessary to combat a reBRIAN ARRIGO Mayor gional crisis. In a statement fi rst reported in the Boston Globe, the BPHC stated that the plan builds upon its work with the District Attorney’s offi ce to address public safety concerns as it continues to prioritize connecting vulnerable individuals with housing and treatment. But for Arrigo, an overwhelming issue with the plan is what he considered a total lack of communication and cooperation for converting the Quality Inn into a transitional facility with 150 beds. Arrigo said he and city offi cials were only made aware of the use of the Quality Inn through a voicemail left to the city’s Substance Use Disorder and Homelessness Initiatives offi ce by a recovery coach with Eliot Community Human Services. “With no prior notice whatsoever, we were taken aback by HOMELESS | SEE Page 13
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