On Saturday an army of volunteers canvassed the streets of East Boston armed with COVID-19 information for residents.
The teams made up of volunteers, city workers and Eastie’s elected officials went door to door in each corner of the neighborhood leaving multilingual COVID-19 flyers on doorsteps.
“This is a difficult time for our families, our friends, our neighborhoods and our communities,” said Mayor Walsh. “As a City, now is the time to come together, and look out for one another. I want to explain what the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic means for you and your family, and how you help stop the spread of the virus in Boston. What I want people to remember is that it’s not just about keeping yourself healthy. By taking these precautions, you’re also helping to keep our entire city healthy. And most importantly, you’re helping to keep the most vulnerable people in our community safe: especially the elderly, and people with underlying medical issues.”
Throughout Saturday’s event volunteers were instructed not to interact with residents and all pamphlets were left at doorsteps. These pamphlets outlined key details about COVID-19, a list of preventative measures to mitigate the spread, and a compilation of city resources, in seven different languages: English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, Simplified Chinese, Cape-Verdean Creole, and Russian.
This pamphlet and an additional four languages were made available online at www.boston.gov/coronavirus and at each individual language webpage as identified above.
“ Team Madaro joined the City of Boston to distribute multilingual info on COVID-19 health and safety to residents across East Boston,” said Rep. Adrian Madaro. “ It was a great day to enjoy the sunshine while practicing social distancing. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.”
City Councilor Lydia Edwards said every resident in Boston deserves to have vital resources, in their own language, readily available during this outbreak.
“Team Edwards was proud to be a part of the Citywide literature drop Saturday dispersing information in seven languages to over 300,000 households,” said Edwards. “We all have the power to stop COVID-19 in its tracks as long as we work together.”
Mayor Walsh also thanked all the volunteers that participated in Saturday’s event as well as everyone in the community who is helping in the fight against the virus pandemic.
“I want to thank everyone who’s helping us from the first responders and medical professionals to the families and neighbors, the teachers, the community leaders and all who are showing what it means to be Boston Strong,” said Walsh. “We’re doing all we can to keep Boston healthy and safe. On behalf of them and on behalf of the city we love and thank you for doing your part.”
The Mayor is still urging people to exercise caution and take care of themselves. There are simple things everyone can do that will make a big difference:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes into your elbow or with a tissue.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Please remember what social distancing involves: avoid crowds of any kind, and keep a distance of at least six feet from other people when you’re out.
• If you think you are sick, call your doctor or 311 to be connected to the Mayor’s Health Line. We’re asking people to call first, before going to the emergency rooms so our ERs don’t get overwhelmed.
• We’re also asking people not to call 911 unless they have a medical emergency. Boston EMS does not conduct testing for COVID-19.