COVID-19 Press Items

The president of Salem Hospital turned to football for an analogy that describes where the region is in the fight against coronavirus. 

More than 4,000 front-line medical workers at local hospitals and related facilities have now been vaccinated against COVID-19, and still many more staff members wait to receive their shots.

The presence of a COVID-19 vaccine will go a long way toward alleviating the scourge that has turned our lives upside down since last March, but there are a lot of other things that have to happen as well.

Officials from nine North Shore communities say they are prepared to restrict indoor activity and roll back reopening plans if COVID-19 cases continue to rise. "We are particularly troubled about impacts to our hard working residents in the healthcare workforce," reads a joint statement released Wednesday. "With little remaining capacity at our region’s hospitals, everyone is negatively affected, even if the reason for your hospital visit is not COVID-related.”

As hospitals on the North Shore near capacity, health care workers and local officials are pleading with residents to stay home this holiday season— even if they test negative for the virus.

Coronavirus vaccinations began at North Shore Hospital on Wednesday, while Beverly Hospital is expected to start its vaccinations of front-line workers on Thursday.

Registered Nurse Michele Hnath became the first member of North Shore Medical Center staff to receive the first dose of the vaccine on Wednesday. 

Michele Hnath, a 42-year-old ICU nurse, was the first of 15 frontline healthcare workers from the North Shore Medical Center to receive the initial round of the two-part COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday afternoon. 

Today, the North Shore Medical Center in Salem received their shipment of the covid-19 vaccines. 

Yesterday, front-line workers at BMC, MGH, Brigham and Women’s and North Shore Medical Center all handed out their first shots. 

Joseph Previtera has seen up close what COVID-19 does.

Before Thanksgiving, health workers warned people not to travel or gather with family and friends.

Today, the data is showing that people did not heed that warning.

Local medical centers are preparing for how they will be distributing the two potential COVID-19 vaccines that are up for Food and Drug Administration approval this month. 

While the five healthcare professionals who took part in Lynn’s second COVID-19 Tele-Town Hall Monday night said they would be among the first in line when a vaccine becomes available, residents were a bit more cautious. 

SALEM — There’s one thing the head of North Shore Medical Center wants people to do when planning to visit family this Thanksgiving: don’t.

Rising coronavirus cases in Salem, and across the North Shore and the state, have officials worried that younger residents contracting the virus in recent weeks — the majority of whom do not develop severe symptoms — will soon begin transmitting the virus to older, more vulnerable relatives during the holiday season.

North Shore Medical Center CEO Dr. David Roberts and Beverly Hospital CEO Phil Cormier said in separate interviews that their staffs learned many lessons about the novel coronavirus during the harrowing months after the pandemic first struck in March.

As health experts continue to be concerned with the risk of a “double viral infection” during the upcoming flu season, the city’s public health director Michele Desmarais, Mayor Thomas M. McGee, and a panel of three local doctors also urged Lynn residents to get a flu vaccine this year.  “The flu vaccine is extremely safe,” said Dr. Mitchell Rein, chief medical officer of North Shore Medical Center, who acknowledged that some individuals are concerned about vaccinations in general.  “It really is the best way to prevent the flu. This year it is exceptionally important we do everything we can to keep the risk of flu at a minimum. The risk of having both COVID and flu at the same time could be devastating for (people).” 

Community health organizations have been teaming up to fight Lynn’s stubbornly high rates of COVID-19.The North Shore Medical Center has partnered with the Lynn Community Health Center, the city of Lynn and Mass General Brigham to launch “Keep Cases Down,” an education initiative focused on Lynn and several other struggling cities throughout the Commonwealth. Lynn remains a hot spot for COVID-19, with 578 active cases as of Sept. 22.

A meeting between Congressman Seth Moulton and a group of doctors and nurses at North Shore Medical Center on Wednesday provided a glimpse of what has gone on inside the walls of the hospital since the arrival of the pandemic in March.

Gabriella Toussaint, of Peabody, was full of joy as she anticipated giving birth to her second child, but, like many pregnant mothers during this pandemic, she was also sad and a bit nervous about having to give birth without her partner present. Gabriela and her husband Reggie Toussaint made the decision that Reggie would stay home to tend to their six-year-old daughter Frida when Gabriela went into labor. “It was a difficult choice that we had to make, but I knew it was the right thing,” Gabriela said. When the day arrived for the birth in April, Gabriela found the North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) Birthplace staff ready to give her the support she needed and an exceptional experience.

NSMC hospitalist Jessica Benedetto, M.D., gives an in-depth look at her experience working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in this time of uncertainty and change, Dr. Benedetto and her colleagues come to work everyday more vigilant and committed to care for patients and fight the Coronavirus. 

Salem News interviews North Shore Medical Center President David Roberts

A parade of first responder vehicles showed their support for North Shore hospitals Thursday.

In honor of One Boston Day, the Martin Richard Foundation and nonprofit Sailing Heals is providing 350 boxed meals to the overnight staff at North Shore Medical Center in Salem.

As is the case throughout Massachusetts, the number of COVID-19 cases in Lynn and surrounding communities have risen sharply over the past week and is expected to rise through at least the middle of April. As everyday life is on hold, the fo­cus on health and well-being has never been greater.

Dr. Elizabeth "Ellie" Wallace, an emergency medicine physician for Salem Hospital's Emergency Department, created this video as a reminder that not all heroes wear capes — some wear masks. North Shore Medical Center, which shared this video with The Salem News, also noted that as of April 7, they had 82 inpatients who tested positive for COVID-19, 27 inpatients requiring ICU/critical care and 43 inpatients who are suspected to have the novel coronavirus but awaiting test results.

A few days after Swampscott schools shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, eighth-grade civics teacher Kevin Rogers remembered something: Swampscott Middle School was filled with cleaning and sanitizing supplies brought in by students at the beginning of the school year.

On St. Patrick's Day, Jillian Harvey and her husband Paul Carelis, of Bradford, welcomed their daughter, Maeve, their fourth child. Because visitors aren't allowed in the hospital, Maeve’s three siblings, Rory, Cormac, and Paloma met their little sister through the window into their mother’s Birthplace room from the garden outside.

First-time grandparents Deb and Keith Barker of Amherst NH meet their new granddaughter through the hospital window.