This week, Somerville launched its expanded coronavirus testing effort, promising to test any resident for coronavirus who wanted it — regardless of their insurance, immigration or symptom status.
However, with a population of approximately 85,000, there is more work to be done on the supply side to achieve that goal, Mayor Joseph Curtatone told Jim Braude on WGBH News’ Greater Boston Tuesday. Somerville currently has about 3,500 new test kits, according to officials.
“We’re still dependent on supplies coming in,” Curtatone said. “This started several weeks ago — five week ago, to be exact — when we started … one of the first mobile sites [was] at the Somerville Hospital Campus, only for Cambridge Alliance patients, with the goal of making it available city-wide.
“Now with the 3,500 extra kits, that allows us to expand to city-wide, to about 130, 150 tests per day,” he explained. “We want to get to 500. What’s holding us back from even going at a greater rate, or a faster rate, is, again, the lack of supply — reagents, swabs, vials. So we’re going to continue to fight to get those materials so we can expand that rate. “
Somerville also announced Monday that anyone in public must wear a face mask, with fines of up to $300 for violators. The city said in its announcement that police officers would provide masks to homeless individuals and people living with mental illness and that “ticketing for this is our last resort.”
“If you’re physically able [to put on a mask], if you’re just willfully not complying, you’ll be subject to the fine,” Curtatone told Braude. “We’re going to work with people, we don’t want to get to that point.”
