LYNN NEWS ROUND-UP
NOVEMBER 25, 2020
See our other COVID-19 related posts by clicking here.
Alert from the Lynn Police Department: We have received several reports regarding thefts of catalytic converters in the past week. The suspect(s) targeted Toyota Prius vehicles that were parked in residential parking lots during the early morning hours. Owners of these vehicles are advised to park in well-lit areas and residents are asked to call the Lynn Police Dept. to report any suspicious activity.
Updates from yesterday’s eviction protest
Community group Lynn United for Change is responding to to new court data and a report by Massachusetts Housing Partnership showing a sharp increase in court eviction cases over the past two weeks.
Over a dozen volunteers with Lynn United for Change gathered in front of City Hall yesterday to kick off an outreach campaign focusing on Lynn residents who have received a court summons for eviction.
Speakers decried evictions by corporate landlords during the pandemic as immoral and a threat to public health and promised resistance to displacement. After a brief training on safe outreach methods during COVID-19, each volunteer was given outreach targets and flyers offering support to tenants.
The group then marched an apartment building on Washington Street owned by Paramount Properties, which has filed multiple eviction cases in the past few weeks. The group announced its presence with chants of “housing is a human right” and held protest signs with slogans including, “we will resist eviction, foreclosures, displacement.” Through a bullhorn, several speakers warned the landlord to stop eviction actions and offered support to tenants in English and Spanish. Flyers with information for tenants facing eviction were then taped to the front entrance of the building.
Finally, the group disbursed to bring information to other tenants facing eviction across the city.
Background info. & resources
- Article by WBUR: “Eviction Filings Are On The Rise, Weeks After State Moratorium Ended“
- Graph of eviction court cases filed in Lynn since the end of the eviction moratorium on Oct. 17 (federal moratorium ends Dec. 31).
Click for full-resolution image - Graph of eviction court cases filed statewide since the end of the eviction moratorium on Oct. 17 (federal moratorium ends Dec. 31).
Click for full-resolution image - Source for graphs: Massachusetts Trial Court – Dept. of Research & Planning
- Flyers distributed by the group.
Click for full-resolution image
This event will be aired on our Public Access TV Channel this Friday, November 27th at 7pm. It will be available to watch on TV (Comcast: 3 / Verizon: 38), on our website, YouTube channel, & Facebook page simultaneously.
English & Spanish recordings of Monday’s COVID-19 Tele Town Hall
The City of Lynn hosted a Tele Town Hall on COVID-19 this past Monday night. Mayor Thomas McGee and Public Health Director Michele Desmarais were joined by several medical experts from Lynn Community Health Center, North Shore Medical Center and North Shore Physicians Group.
Residents could join in via phone call or live streaming on their computers. There were two simultaneous events offered, one in English and one in Spanish.
The panelists in the English-language version were as follows:
- Dr. Mitch Rein | Chief Medical Officer of North Shore Medical Center
- Dr. Barbara Lambl | Infectious Disease Specialist from North Shore Medical Center
- Dr. Geoff Pechinsky | Chief Medical Officer of Lynn Community Health Center
- Dr. Hanna Haptu | Medical Director Infectious Disease at Lynn Community Health Center
Watch anytime on our website by clicking here or on TV (Comcast: 22 & Verizon: 37) daily at 10am, 4:45pm, & 9pm.
The panelists in the Spanish-language version were as follows:
- Jennifer Almonte | Lynn Department of Public Health Nurse
- Dr. Clark Van Den Berghe | Lynn Community Health Center
- Veronica Pena-Vargas | Nurse Practitioner North Shore Physicians Group
- Dr. Rosa Lorenia-Diaz | North Shore Physicians Group
Watch anytime on our website by clicking here or on TV (Comcast: 22 & Verizon: 37) daily at 11am, 5:45pm, & 10pm.
Lynn Community Health Center’s COVID-19 testing site closed for holiday
LCHC Testing Site will be closed Wednesday-Sunday this week, but you can still get tested in Lynn on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday through Transformative Healthcare, or by visiting mass.gov/stopthespread for other testing locations in the state. There will be extended hours until 7pm at the LCHC Testing Site on Monday, Nov. 30th & Tuesday, Dec. 1st.
The above info. was taken from LCHC’s Facebook page.
MBTA Transit Police to Offer Face Masks to Riders, fines for violators
TPD joins Transit Ambassadors and Customer Service Agents in supporting the T’s commitment to public health on public transportation.
The MBTA announced that, starting yesterday, Transit Police officers would begin offering face masks to transit riders in need of a face covering. This effort is part of the T’s Ride Safer campaign to educate riders and shift behavior to the new way of riding on the T during the pandemic.
Boston-based New Balance recently provided the MBTA with 100,000 of the athletic brand’s general-use face masks for riders.
“Transit Police are happy to have the resources available to assist passengers in need of a face covering,” said MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green. “As our region enters a second phase of the pandemic, it is more important now to be properly wearing a face covering when you are outside the confines of your home, and especially while you are traveling on public transit.”
“Wearing a face covering is one of the most effective ways to combat the virus, and we appreciate the help of Transit Police in offering face masks to our riders,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “I’d like to again thank New Balance for their contribution and promoting public health on transit. Ride Safer is a shared responsibility between the MBTA and our riding public, and we ask that riders do their part by wearing face coverings while within the MBTA system and distancing while on public transit.”
On November 2, the Baker-Polito Administration strengthened its Executive Order requiring people to wear face coverings in public places to require anyone older than 5 years of age to wear a face covering in public, including public transit, regardless of their distance from others.
The revised Executive Order authorizes Transit Police to enforce the order onboard MBTA vehicles and within the system by issuing a civil fine up to $300 per violation.
Ride Safer consists of three components: providing face masks to riders in need at key stations during peak travel times; signage and messaging to promote the importance of keeping a safe distance and wearing face coverings while on the T; and the Ride Safer webpage at mbta.com/RideSafer that provides travel tips and a behind-the-scenes look at the MBTA’s expanded efforts to clean and disinfect stations and vehicles.
Joining Transit Police in offering face masks to riders are Transit Ambassadors and MBTA Customer Service Agents. Face masks are now available from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.Monday through Friday at Charles/MGH, Downtown Crossing, Forest Hills, Hynes Convention Center, Maverick, Orient Heights, Park Street, and Quincy Center Stations.
For more information, please visit mbta.com/RideSafer or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.
From Mayor McGee’s office: The Lynn Public Health Department has confirmed that as of today, the number of active, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases is 1,080 with 63 new cases today. 6,079 Lynn residents have recovered and 129 have died. The total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Lynn since March 21, 2020, including those who have died and recovered, is 7,288. Please visit the City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.
COVID-19 Thanksgiving Do’s & Don’ts:
DO’S:
- Wear a mask when not eating or drinking
- Keep your distance-at least 6 feet
- Wash your hands often with soap and water
- Improve ventilation by opening windows and doors
DON’TS
- Share food from the same plate or share drinks
- Shake hands or hug. Wave or verbally greet others instead
- Sing, dance, or shout which increase chances of catching the airborne virus
- Gather with high risk individuals such as older adults, and people with certain medical conditions
Stop the Spread Initiative Testing have been extended until December 31st
Please visit http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/covid19/resources.shtml#p7GPc1_2 for more information on how you can get a free COVID-19 test in the City of Lynn until December 31st.
We will continue to provide regular updates on COVID-19 through the City website (www.lynnma.gov), social media, and the Smart 911 emergency notification system (sign up at www.smart911.com).
If you have a news story that you would like to share, please contact us via email or call 781-780-9460.
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