By Erin Nolan Staff Writer Dec 22, 2020 Dec 22, 2020 PEABODY â Mayor Ted Bettencourt said his COVID-19 diagnosis hasnât impacted his ability to do his job. âIâve been obviously working remotely for a while now,â he said. âWeâve gotten so used to doing business this way that it was pretty easy. It really hasnât (impacted my work).â Bettencourt announced over the weekend that he had tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday, Bettencourt said even though the virus âhas beaten [him] up a little bit,â he is very fortunate to be experiencing relatively mild symptoms and to be feeling better every day.