Walsh, elected officials chime in on virtual Lower Mills Civic Association meeting

A screengrab of Tuesday evening's Zoom meeting.

In a first, the Lower Mills Civic Association convened its monthly meeting on Tuesday in a virtual format via Zoom, with dozens of community leaders, elected officials, and residents chiming in through phone or video chat.

Mayor Martin Walsh was a special guest. He began by reiterating some information from a Monday press briefing, detailing the latest case and death total.

Walsh acknowledged Dorchester is “number one in the city in as far as confirmed cases,” noting that the zip codes of 02122 and 02124 had a combined total of 1,033 cases as of yesterday. The numbers work out to around 128 cases per 10,000 residents in Dorchester.

“We’re working on expanding testing sites and increasing the number of tests,” said Walsh, who noted the city is expanding testing at Mattapan Community Health Center next. As of now, coronavirus testing is ongoing at Codman Square Health Center, Harvard Street Health Center, Bowdoin Street Health Center, DotHouse Health, and Carney Hospital.

A new pilot antibody tracking test of 1,000 residents included residents from zip codes 02125 and 02121, added Walsh.

Responding to a question about a possible mandatory face mask order, Walsh said he “would prefer not to do that” and that “it should be our responsibility as individuals to wear a mask when we go out in public.”

“Quite honestly, our first responders, our police officers can’t be running around writing tickets up on every person not wearing a mask,” he said.

While Walsh said he noticed some kids not wearing masks in Greenhills Bakery recently — which he called “irresponsible”— he also said that near his house on Butler Street and Richmond Street, “almost everyone” seems to be wearing masks.

“I think in Dorchester, and obviously I’m biased, but I think people are paying more attention to those recommendations than anywhere else in the city.”

Walsh expects the stay at home order, which was extended by Governor Baker Tuesday through May 18, will “probably have to be extended again.”

City councillor at-large Annissa Essaibi-George, who was on the Zoom call, urged residents to support small businesses to make sure they emerge intact on the other side of the crisis, while Councillor Andrea Campbell called the situation an opportunity to “eradicate inequities that are coming to the surface.”

Boston Police C-11 Sergeant Brian Dunford said that while instances of domestic violence have “gone way up,” aggravated assaults and residential burglaries are down in the neighborhood.


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