State Rep. Adrian Madaro (D-East Boston) explains East Boston’s test positivity figures of nearly 8%, compared to 4.2% in Mattapan and, according to current statistics, 1.4% statewide.
Our community is no less wearing masks / social distance, or taking less precautionary measures for public health than any other. That is not the reason why our rates are higher than the suburbs. Our rates of COVID infection are higher because our communities are systematically more vulnerable to the spread of this disease. This was true at the beginning of the shutdown, and it has become worse as MA has progressed through the phases of Reopening.
Many working-class Eastie residents have the privilege of not working at home. Their jobs require them to go to work, and in most cases they interact with colleagues or members of the public through jobs in the service sector – construction, cleaning, restaurants, etc. While the shutdown meant some (but not all) of these service workers remained at home, the reopening of our state means that even more are back to work out in public now. This means that Eastie residents and surrounding communities are at increased risk of COVID exposure and infection.
And housing is expensive and difficult to find. Most Eastie workers live in apartments that are full of family as roommates, and short on space. People share rooms. If everyone lives together in a small space, there are not many opportunities for social distance. This means that if a worker becomes ill, they can no longer be quarantined.
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