COVID-weary waiting on ‘next year’ but high virus numbers could persist into 2021

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — It is a juxtaposition accepted now with exhausted ease: a drive-through COVID-19 testing site set up in the parking lot of an indoor hockey facility.

On Thursday, as hundreds of vehicles lined up, their occupants set to get swabbed, high school hockey player Jack Farrell stripped down to his underwear in a parking lot across the street, then began the laborious process of pulling on his gear.

Locker rooms are just one of the casualties of COVID-19. For Farrell, school was another.

“Not too much of a good year,” Farrell said. “Looking on to better things and to work harder next year.”

The final day of the Year of COVID-19 had many thinking about ‘next year.’

“Let’s hope that 2021′s going to be better for everybody because this year was not as good as we expected,” said Fernando Nunes of Framingham.

Some would no doubt suggest 2021 couldn’t possibly be any worse. And perhaps, overall, that will be the case. But the COVID-19 case count heading into the new year indicates some potentially rough weeks ahead. For the last two days, the Department of Public Health has reported more than 6,000 new positive tests per day. And seven-day positivity rates have climbed above 8 percent -- to levels not seen since spring.

COVID-19 has killed many thousands of Massachusetts residents since then. It also killed livelihoods and dreams. But it hasn’t killed everything.

Last spring, like everyone else, Carlos Valadares of Framingham was caught up in the governor’s emergency orders.

“They shut down everything, and I say, ‘Okay what am I gonna do now? I don’t wanna stay home. I wanna help people.’”

And that’s what Valadares did. Since March, he’s been delivering food to local families in need and organizing efforts to help pay rents.

Valadares immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil more than 20 years ago and subsequently became a citizen. He sees helping others as a way to thank America for giving him a home.

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