|
|
| |
 |
|
|
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's Friday the 13th.
VIRUS LEAVES MASS. IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY — Life in Massachusetts is changing as some of the country's largest institutions shut down to mitigate coronavirus outbreak. And with confusing messages coming from the federal government, much of the burden has fallen on Gov. Charlie Baker and other state and local leaders to handle the response in the Bay State.
Looking at the last five days, it's clear that we are in an unprecedented and quickly-changing time. On Monday morning, there were 28 reported cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts. By the afternoon, the state had updated that number to 41. One school in Arlington was closed, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh decided to cancel the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, which would have happened this weekend.
By Tuesday, Baker declared a state of emergency , a move he said would help the state address the outbreak with more flexibility. The number of reported cases rose to 92, many of which were linked to a Biogen conference held at a Boston hotel in late February. Harvard University canceled in-person classes for the rest of the semester. Rush hour traffic in and around Boston decreased dramatically as events were canceled and employees were encouraged to work from home, according to data from MassDOT.
Things started to change rapidly on Wednesday. The World Health Organization categorized the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, and the state reported two new cases. The University of Massachusetts, Northeastern University, Boston University and a number of other schools announced moves to take classes online in the coming days, and keep them that way until further notice. Storage companies in the Boston area were abuzz with students packing up their dorms months earlier than planned.
People across the state continued to change their daily routines on Thursday. The coronavirus caseload rose to 108 people infected in Massachusetts. The city of Everett canceled public school for 30 days, and other districts also canceled school. The mayors of Pittsfield and Worcester declared a state of emergency in their cities. The legislature swiftly passed a $15 million spending bill the governor can use as a "fund" to curb the outbreak, and he signed it that evening.
Today, many people across Massachusetts are working from home or grappling with how to get to work with children home from school. Baker is calling on the federal government to give the state more testing capability. Elected leaders are slashing their in-person staffs to "skeleton crews" and using teleworking instead. Candidates running for office have canceled their weekend events and replaced them with "virtual town halls." Rep. Ayanna Pressley will still be the special guest at congressional candidate Jesse Mermell's office opening this weekend, for example, but now it'll happen online.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh don't have events on their public schedules. Attorney General Maura Healey is a guest on WGBH's "Radio Boston." Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference on the coronavirus at Harvard Medical School.
|
 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
|
- "Coronavirus testing limitations a growing concern for Baker," by Colin A. Young and Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "As the state works to manage the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday issued his most forceful call yet for the federal government to allow private labs and hospital facilities to test for the virus as the number of cases statewide climbed to 108. Testing has emerged as a key aspect of the national response to the outbreak of the newest coronavirus and the COVID-19 respiratory illness it causes. Without enough tests, public health officials are not able to wrap their arms around the full scope of the outbreak."
- "Baker approves $15 million coronavirus package," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday approved a $15 million package designed to bolster the state's response to the rapid spread of novel coronavirus through Massachusetts. Baker signed the bill hours after it cleared sparsely attended informal sessions in the House and Senate. Both chambers have scaled back public events and have no scheduled formal sessions, as officials and the public grapple with how to slow the COVID-19 pandemic."
- "What's behind the COVID-19 testing bottleneck," by Shira Schoenberg and Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "As the number of coronavirus cases rises in Massachusetts and individuals languish in self-quarantine, kits to test for the illness remain scarce, leading to concerns among some providers and patients that infected people are walking around exposing others. Protocols have been established limiting who can be tested and only one lab in Boston, operated by the Department of Public Health, is authorized to conduct the tests, creating a bureaucratic backlog that is time consuming and cumbersome. One hospital has started sending swabs to a lab in California, while another is using couriers - and sometimes even its own infectious disease head - to transport samples from the Berkshires to Boston."
- "Legislature's work may be sidelined," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "The new coronavirus is shutting down some state business, as lawmakers cancel public meetings and restrict interactions to prevent its spread. With the clock running down on their two-year session, lawmakers still have a lot of unfinished work including proposals to address climate change and a housing shortage, improving natural gas safety and boosting transportation funding. But action on those measures and other major bills could be delayed as the state government takes aggressive steps to contain the virus."
- "Asian Americans Condemn Coronavirus-Based Xenophobia," by Steve Brown, WBUR: "Several Asian American leaders and their allies gathered on the steps of the Massachusetts statehouse Thursday morning to say since the outbreak of the coronavirus, they have been the targets of unfounded concern and prejudice. 'This is not an Asian American virus,' said Dr. Alyssa Choi, who spoke at the gathering. 'There is nothing inherent in us as Asian Americans that makes us, 'carriers' of this virus. And it does not give us any particular reason to be more fearful of us transmitting this to anybody.'"
- "Galvin: Virus Makes Online Census Responses Critical," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "The last time Massachusetts tried to count its population the state wound up losing a Congressional seat. This time, Secretary of State William Galvin hopes Massachusetts can avoid a similar fate, even in the face of challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 U.S. Census kicked off on Thursday, with postcards in the mail to millions of Massachusetts households informing them of how to take part in the decennial population count - online, by mail, or by phone."
|
| FROM THE HUB |
|
- "Marriott Long Wharf, host of Biogen meeting, to close amid coronavirus concerns," by Andy Rosen and Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "The Marriott Long Wharf hotel, which was the venue for the February Biogen leadership conference linked to dozens of cases of the novel coronavirus here and elsewhere, said on Thursday it will close 'in the interest of public health.' The hotel's parent company said it had made the decision in consultation with the Boston Public Health Commission, and in response to 'new information.' It's unclear what the new information is and how long the hotel will be closed. Marriott did not provide further details."
- "Coronavirus outbreak may push Boston Marathon into the fall," by David Abel, Boston Globe: "Local officials along the route of the Boston Marathon, including city leaders in Boston, are closing in on a plan to postpone the world-famous race until the fall in response to the escalating coronavirus crisis. Officials from the various communities met Wednesday at Boston City Hall, according to two people familiar with the plans, amid growing acceptance that it would be irresponsible or even impossible to hold the race as scheduled on April 20. Government officials have been in regular communication with leaders from the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the Marathon."
- "Boston Braces For More Market Volatility On Coronavirus Reactions," by Beth Healy, WBUR: "In a week of dark news, it was another stunner. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dove 2,300 points by close Thursday, or nearly 10%. Investors reacted to President Trump's directive that Europeans would be banned from traveling to the U.S. for a month to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In Boston, the news hit especially hard. It's a city of education and travel, and a center of finance, medicine and sports."
- "Boston officials, advocates call for halt on evictions as coronavirus spreads," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Local officials and housing advocates are demanding a halt to the housing court's 'eviction machine' in an effort to protect vulnerable residents from exposure as coronavirus spreads throughout the city. 'We're already seeing this eviction machine in overdrive every week,' said attorney Alex Milvae of Greater Boston Legal Services from the steps of the Boston Municipal Court on Thursday morning."
|
| DAY IN COURT |
|
- "SJC: Mugshots and police reports on police officers and judges must be released," by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "Booking photographs of judges and law enforcement officers who are arrested and any police reports connected with their cases are public records, even if the officials are never arraigned in court, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday. In one of two major rulings on the intersection between the public's right to know and the privacy protections in the state's Criminal Offender Record and Information Act, the court ruled unanimously that The Boston Globe was entitled to booking photos and reports on police officers arrested on drunken driving charges and the booking photo and report on the arrest of a judge for theft."
- "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins announces her staff will be reduced to 'skeleton' crew in response to COVID-19," by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com: "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced that as the state grapples with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak her office will reduce staffing to 'skeleton' or essential levels. Under the new measure, all prosecutors will request a 60-day continuance in cases in which the individual charged with a crime is not in custody."
|
| DATELINE D.C. |
|
- "CDC head pledges to cover uninsured's coronavirus costs, after pressure from Ayanna Pressley and Joe Kennedy," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Frustrations remain about the sluggish rollout and availability of coronavirus testing in the United States. However, following pressure from Massachusetts Democrats, among others, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said for the first time Thursday that the costs of testing and treatment for COVID-19 would be covered for people without health insurance. Robert Redfield made the pledge during a House oversight committee hearing Thursday, after Rep. Ayanna Pressley said the agency's online coronavirus webpages did not provide sufficient guidance for the roughly 30,000 residents in her Boston-area district who do not have insurance."
- "Clark criticizes GOP's 'dangerous' resistance to coronavirus aid package," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Representative Katherine Clark of Melrose criticized Republican House leaders Thursday for opposing the coronavirus aid package unveiled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 'These are not partisan issues. This is about coming together to protect the security and the wellbeing of the American people,' Clark, a member of Pelosi's leadership team, said in a phone interview with the Globe from Washington."
- "Republicans continue to deny coronavirus threat as public health official warns of catastrophe, by Sharon Lerner, The Intercept: "Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., took particular issue with the failure of federal doctors to contradict Trump's bizarre and inaccurate statements about the virus, including his promise that every American who wants a coronavirus test can get one and that they were 'beautiful tests.' ''Beautiful test' is not a medical term,' Lynch said to the doctors. Lynch, whose district includes parts of Boston, noted that the number of cases in his district doubled on Tuesday, despite Trump's recent statement that coronavirus cases were going down."
|
| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
|
- "Buying Weed at Boston's First Pot Shop with Shaleen Title," by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Shaleen Title has waited a long time for this moment. Before she was appointed to Massachusetts' Cannabis Control Commission, the 34-year-old lawyer and activist spent her professional career pushing to reform our punitive drug laws and arguing that the people who suffered the most under the War on Drugs be given a chance to make money selling weed legally. So, Title—the most outspoken of the five CCC members, who respectively specialize in public health, public safety, regulation, business, and in Title's case social justice—was taking a victory lap on Monday, as the Pure Oasis dispensary flung open its doors in Dorchester."
|
| FROM THE 413 |
|
- "Number of coronavirus cases in Berkshire County increases to 9," by Amanda Drane, The Berkshire Eagle: "The number of presumed new coronavirus cases in Berkshire County has risen to nine, according to statistics released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health. Mayor Linda Tyer declared a state of emergency in the city on Thursday amid a coronavirus outbreak in Berkshire County. The declaration took effect immediately, she said during a news conference at City Hall."
|
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
|
- "Details scarce on virus testing on Cape Cod," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "Process expected to speed up with revised criteria, more kits. As the number of confirmed or presumptive positive cases of the new coronavirus rose to 95 in Massachusetts on Wednesday, the Cape and Islands remained free of detected cases. But public health officials said they expected cases of COVID-I9, the disease caused by the virus, to occur in this region as the illness continues to spread in what the World Health Organization is now calling a pandemic."
- "Customers make a 'run' on Costco," by Paul Leighton, The Salem News: "Thousands of customers descended on the store on Thursday as concerns about the coronavirus continued to escalate. Cars backed up on Route 1 waiting to get into the parking lot. Customers, including a few wearing masks, loaded up over-sized carriages stacked high with supplies, many of them purchased in bulk. Some people even needed larger hand carts to take all of their purchases to their cars. Items like paper towels, toilet paper and Clorox were sold out ."
- "Grafton, Nashoba students, families seek refunds for canceled school trips," by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: "Paige Christie worked for more than a year at Dunkin' Donuts to pay for a school trip to Italy this March. But the coronavirus pandemic has canceled the vacation, and Christie is among many students and families at Nashoba Regional High School trying to get the tour company to give them their money back. Christie was one of 40 Nashoba students scheduled to depart April 19 on an eight-day trip to Italy with stops including Rome, Venice and Florence. Because of concerns about the coronavirus, the school canceled the trip March 6."
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Taunton Mayor Shaunna O'Connell, Massachusetts Democatic Party chair Gus Bickford, MassLive's Jackson Cote and Denise Lloyd, who all celebrate Saturday.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: THE WOMEN EXPLAIN IT ALL - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray discuss the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts. Zeninjor Enwemeka of WBUR talks about what Massachusetts shoppers are buying to prepare for the pandemic, and Nina Liang of Emerge Massachusetts discusses women running for office in the wake of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's decision to drop out of the 2020 race. State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan talks about gender parity. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
|
|
|
| |
Follow us on Twitter
|
| |
Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family
|
Follow us
|
|
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.