Brodeur: Melrose's Surge Has Yet To Come

MELROSE, MA — Mayor Paul Brodeur said a relatively slow trickle of confirmed COVID-19 in the city indicates the expected coronavirus surge has yet to hit.

Brodeur said in his Monday evening video update the number of confirmed cases in Melrose is at 87. He couched that by talking about the potential georgraphical inaccuracies in the reporting system.

Brodeur also said the city has stopped reporting the number of deaths related to COVID-19, since the numbers aren't official.

"While we can surmise the cause of death in certain cases, because we do not receive official numbers from DPH, I feel it could be misleading to continue to report the number of Melrose fatalities," he said.

Brodeur also touched on what is sure to be one of the long-lasting impacts of the coronavirus crisis: The upcoming budget. Brodeur said the city will be "cautious" in planning the budget, since there are no guarantees what kind of revenue the city will be working with. The only thing known is the revenue will be far less than originally anticipated.

Brodeur did not detail the small business task force he announced last week. Brodeur's office has not responded to repeated requests for details on who the task force is made up of and the work it will be doing for local business.