Boston hit by Covid spike on eve of Thanksgiving as experts send health warning
Free tests are being handed out to residents as Covid grips the City of Boston ahead of Thanksgiving.
Boston residents are being given access to further free Covid-19 tests amid a spike in the virus as winter takes hold.
It comes as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, sparking fears a second wave could crest as families come together to celebrate.
Some local health experts are urging face masks to make a return in healthcare settings.
The rapid rise comes after a decline in Covid-19 levels was detected in wastewater. But the virus has had a resurgence in the south and north of the city within the last week.
The weekly average for both south and north Boston is now up 65 percent from a week ago.
With cases of the virus expected to rise, every US household will again be able to place an order to receive four more free rapid tests.
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Residents who have not already ordered tests this fall can place two orders for a total of eight tests at www.covid.gov/tests.
The Boston Public Health Commission is also distributing 10,000 free rapid testing kits at a number of community centers and community health centers around the city.
Bisola Ojikutu, commissioner of Public Health and executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission said: “Respiratory viruses, like COVID-19, the flu and RSV, will continue to pose a challenge this holiday season,” said
“We are giving out test kits and other resources to ensure that residents have the tools they need to stay safe and healthy.”
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Hospitalizations and deaths from the virus remain far below levels seen during the worst stretches of the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of over 1.1 million people in the US.
Hospital admissions of patients with Covid rose this summer, but started to decline slightly in September and in recent weeks have remained fairly steady.
Around 16,000 people were admitted to hospitals with Covid in the week ending Nov. 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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