As COVID-19 Cases Spike in East Boston, City Looks to Contain Them – NBC Boston

East Boston has emerged as a hot spot for coronavirus in the city.

The latest weekly numbers show people tested positive at a rate of over 11% according to city officials, while the rest of Boston is testing positive under 3.5%

“To be honest with you, it might just be the population within East Boston,” said Jessica Delgado, a resident of the neighborhood. “Sometimes not everybody’s well-informed and that leads to people not protecting themselves.”

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Wednesday the city will step up its outreach, reminding residents and businesses in the neighborhood to take the necessary precautions.

“It may represent risk from having communities with lots of front-line workers, communities of color, that may not be able to physically distance at work or in households,” said Dr. Cassandra Pierre, an epidemiologist at Boston Medical Center.

The city will try to pinpoint where the East Boston cases may be originating and will also be searching for nearby isolation housing so that people who test positive can quarantine away from their families.

The city has not ruled out restrictions like a curfew for East Boston.

“We’re looking at tightening up regulations around gatherings and public spaces, but hope that it doesn’t come to that,” said Walsh.

The city will also be moving a mobile testing site to East Boston on Tuesday to make it easier for more people to get tested.