COVID cases on Cape Cod tick upward; testing positivity rate increases slightly

/Cynthia McCormack Cape Cod Times 

Published April 15, 2022 

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks in Barnstable County on Cape Cod rose slightly, according to the state Department of Public Health's Thursday weekly report on cities and towns.

While cases ticked upward on Cape Cod, they were still nowhere near the numbers seen early in the winter, when more than 4,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a 14-day period.

The DPH said Thursday that the testing positivity rate on Cape Cod rose to 3.18% for the previous two weeks, compared to 2.38% reported on April 7.

The rise in testing positivity rates is being seen across the state. 19 cases in the past two weeks in Barnstable County on Cape Cod rose slightly, according to the state Department of Public Health's Thursday weekly report on cities and towns.

The DPH reported approximately 325 cases on Cape Cod in the last two-week period that started March 27 and ended April 9.

That is an increase of almost 100 cases compared to what was reported on April 7 for the previous two-week period, which was approximately 230 new coronavirus cases.

Public health officials reported Thursday that the state's seven-day testing positivity rate was 3.66%, compared to 2.75% on April 7.

In its daily report, the DPH Thursday said that there are 2,962 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts and 293 probable cases, for a total of 1,721,642 since the pandemic began.

The daily figures included 108 new cases of coronavirus on Cape Cod, for a total of 35,327 since the pandemic began.

Hospitalizations also rose slightly, to figures not seen since early March, with Massachusetts hospitals caring for 307 people with coronavirus, including six at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis and three at Falmouth Hospital.

State public health officials said 175 people with COVID-19 who are hospitalized are fully vaccinated. Of the 307 hospital patients with coronavirus, only one-third, or 102, are being treated primarily for a COVID-related illness.

COVID-19 deaths remain low.

In its daily report Thursday, the DPH said there were two new confirmed deaths from coronavirus, for a total of 19,052 confirmed deaths statewide since the pandemic began. There have been 1,117 people who died of probable cases of COVID-19, but no new deaths from probable cases were reported Thursday.

Cape Cod has had two new COVID-19 deaths within the past two weeks, for a total of 576, but no new deaths were reported Thursday.

Following are the two-week COVID-19 case counts, total number of cases and two-week testing positivity rates for Cape Cod towns.

Barnstable (65; 9,331; 2.97%); Bourne (31; 3,468; 2.84%); Brewster (8; 1,362; 1.75%); Chatham (15; 764; 5.70%); Dennis (17; 2,176; 2.76%); Eastham (7; 451; 4.17%); Falmouth (55; 4,184; 3.24%); Harwich (21; 1,953; 4.40%); Mashpee (37; 2,383; 4.29%); Orleans (9; 712; 4.90%); Provincetown (less than five; 450; 2.35%); Sandwich (17; 3,331; 1.91%); Truro (0; 174; 0.00%); Wellfleet (5; 261; 6.67%); and Yarmouth (35; 4,219; 3.41%).

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POLITICO NIGHTLY: When it feels like your Covid test failed

 

BY MYAH WARD Presented by Human Rights Watch People walk by a Covid-19 testing site in downtown Manhattan in New York City. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images TESTING THE LIMITS — Covid seems to be everywhere in Washington, D.C., this week, from the White House to Capitol Hill to newsrooms. Even people in my home have tested positive. There’s no doubt I’ve been exposed, and I have congestion in my nose and throat. But the five rapid antigen tests I’ve taken over the course of the week, including today, have all been negative. I drove to CVS Thursday to take a PCR test. At-home antigen tests are antibody-based tests that detect proteins on the virus’ surface. These work best when people have high viral loads and are showing symptoms. PCR tests are more accurate because they test for the virus’ genetic material. While I wait for my results, I have begun to wonder whether Covid testing has become less reliable because of new variants, like BA.2. So I called Wilbur Lam, a pediatrician and biomedical engineer at Emory University. He leads a team of scientists who have been assessing Covid tests for the federal government since the pandemic began. This conversation has been edited. How well have rapid tests performed with Omicron? Rapid tests have a certain level of false negativity compared to PCR testing. Rapid tests are very useful if people have access to them and do serial testing — meaning when they get the first day of symptoms, they test and maybe they’re negative. But as they get more symptoms over the next few days, test again, and then test again. That false negativity gets mitigated somewhat. It was true for the other variants, Alpha Beta, Delta, and it’s true by and large for Omicron. Right now, our main takeaway is that, in general, tests work with Omicron as well as with the previous variants. We’re looking into, for example, maybe for people who are vaccinated, there’s a higher risk of being negative because the immune system is actually getting rid of the virus before it ends up on the swab. Do you hear a lot of anecdotes like mine, people who have been exposed but test negative?  It definitely happens. But there are other viruses. The same thing happened to me just three weeks ago. I was exposed to a bunch of people. My own patients had Covid. There was this little girl I was seeing in the hospital. She was like 3 years old, and we had tested her for Covid. But the test wasn’t back yet and she was admitted for other things. I had a mask on, and when I was examining her, she grabbed my mask — she didn’t do it on purpose — and then she coughed in my face. Two hours later the lab called, “Oh, by the way, she’s Covid positive.” I kept testing myself at home, but I was always negative. Then I actually caught a cold a few days later. I never turned positive, and I got better. We’re just in this new era in society where we’re so cognizant, so vigilant. Pre-pandemic, we would be like, “I have a cold.” There’s a lot of interest among technology developers to combine at-home Covid testing with other viruses. So maybe by the start of the next flu season, we’ll have some tests that could be able to detect multiple respiratory viruses at once. What have you learned about how variants change the effectiveness of rapid tests? For a given test, there’s a shift in performance between all the different variants. Then with the same variant, there is some variability in performance among the different test brands, because they all use slightly different antibodies. The variability is nothing so significant — I don’t want to speak for the FDA, but we do report our data to the FDA — that’s making the FDA say, “We’ve got to take these off the shelves because they work so horribly.” How could we improve rapid tests?  The technology behind the rapid tests has been around for decades. It’s the same type of technology that’s used for pregnancy tests. Antibodies are these biological substances that our bodies make. Antibodies, these bio-chemicals, can stick to other chemicals, and those can be mass produced. If we can improve the binding of these antibodies — make them stickier — then we could actually increase the sensitivity, meaning the tests could be able to change color at lower concentrations of virus. And PCR tests have continued to perform well with new variants?  It’s actually pretty easy to determine whether a new variant will work against PCR. These tests are looking at RNA, which is kind of the brains of the virus. The way RNA and DNA is examined, it’s a line of letters. Once we can isolate the variant and do genetic sequencing, we are able to predict, “Oh, yeah, this PCR test will work.” When a variant pops up, the FDA knows exactly which PCR tests are at risk, and then they’ll tell the PCR companies to change their tests. And they’ll know exactly how to change it. With the rapid test, it’s harder to predict. As the virus evolves, it might find a way to evade the current antibodies used in the tests. Much like vaccine makers need to think ahead, diagnostic test makers need to think similarly. At some point, the tests might not work, and they’ll need either new antibodies or a new way to detect altogether. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author at mward@politico.com, or on Twitter at @MyahWard.   A message from Human Rights Watch: There is food in the market, but families have no cash to buy it. Health workers are ready to save lives, but there are no salaries or supplies. Learn More.   WHAT'D I MISS? President Joe Biden embraces Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Vice President Kamala Harris applauds during an event celebrating her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court on the South Lawn of the White House. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images — Biden celebrates Jackson’s historic confirmation: Flanked by two historic firsts, President Joe Biden underscored the significance of fulfilling his campaign promise to confirm the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States. Biden, speaking on the White House’s South Lawn to celebrate Kentanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the nation’s highest court, leaned into what the incoming, barrier-breaking justice means for women, particularly young Black women, across the country. He spoke as Vice President Kamala Harris stood on his right, and Jackson on his left. — U.S. sending Patriot missile system to Slovakia: The U.S. will deploy a Patriot missile system to Slovakia, a NATO member state that borders the western tip of Ukraine , Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced today. U.S. European Command will reposition the system, which can shoot down incoming missiles and will be manned by U.S. troops, Austin said in a statement. Both the system and its crew are expected to arrive in the coming days, and the length of the deployment has not yet been determined.   INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED:  Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today.     — Proud Boys leader pleads guilty to role in Jan. 6 conspiracy: A leader of the Proud Boys, charged alongside the group’s national chair Enrique Tarrio, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to obstruct Congress during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Charles Donohoe, the leader of a North Carolina chapter of the group, reached a plea deal with the government that includes cooperation with prosecutors, a potentially pivotal victory for the Justice Department in one of the most significant cases to emerge from the Jan. 6 insurrection. He pleaded to two charges, including the conspiracy to obstruct Congress’ proceedings as well as to impeding police officers. — 2 acquitted, jury hung on 2 more in Whitmer kidnap plot: Two of four men were acquitted of conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, motivated by fury at the Democrat’s tough Covid-19 restrictions early in the pandemic.   A message from Human Rights Watch:     NIGHTLY NUMBER $2.7 million The estimate, nearly doubled from a previous figure, from congressional administrators and Capitol security officials of the property damage caused by the Jan. 6 Capitol attack , the Justice Department indicated in a court filing today. AROUND THE WORLD Marine Le Pen campaigns in Reims, France. | Sam Tarling/Getty Images 1600 PENN WORRIES OVER LE PEN — The White House has begun to harbor fears that Vladimir Putin could soon notch his biggest victory of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — in Paris. There is growing concern within Biden’s administration about the narrowing polls in the French presidential election that show a tight race between incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, Jonathan Lemire writes. A possible victory by Le Pen, a Putin sympathizer, could destabilize the Western coalition against Moscow, upending France’s role as a leading European power and potentially giving other NATO leaders cold feet about staying in the alliance, according to three senior administration officials not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations. Senior U.S. officials have warily watched across the Atlantic for any signs of possible Russian interference in the first round of the elections, which will take place Sunday. Polls suggest that Macron and Le Pen would likely then advance to a showdown on April 24 — and that the potential two-person race would be close. Le Pen, in her third attempt at the presidency, has surged over the past couple of weeks, as she has toned down some of her notoriously incendiary rhetoric to focus on cost-of-living issues. Millions in France are struggling to make ends meet after a 35 percent surge in gas prices over the past year.   DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world’s most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO’s special edition “Global Insider” so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today.     PARTING WORDS “A tuxedo does not prevent infection.” — William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The surge of Covid-19 infections in Washington this week has many wondering if it's safe to hold indoor, public events again.   A message from Human Rights Watch: This is Afghanistan today. The Taliban are carrying out extrajudicial killings and abductions, repressing media, and imposing draconian restrictions that violate the rights of women and girls. On March 23, they reneged on promises to allow girls to go back to secondary school. At the same time, the US government has cut off Afghanistan's economy from the rest of the world and suspended support for salaries for teachers and health workers. The country is on the brink of economic collapse. Millions are at risk of starvation - especially women and girls, who face greater obstacles to getting food. Without a functioning economy, most families have lost their ability to feed themselves. Their most basic rights - to food, health, and life itself - are under assault. Learn More.   Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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Sen. Graham puts on atrocious display in KBJ hearing

 

Today's Top Stories:

Sen. Lindsey Graham interrupted SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson so many times that Sen. Dick Durbin intervened to let her speak
The Republican competition to see who could be the most offensive and obnoxious boor. But it was Lindsey Graham who made the biggest ass of himself.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: A Republican Senator just called out his OWN party to their faces for "jack*ssery" during today’s hearing.
The reprehensible display of QAnon conspiracies and barely disguised racism from his colleagues was too much for Sen. Ben Sasse.

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Major update on windfall tax for oil companies
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: Whoa.

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13,000 Afghan babies have died from malnourishment since January as US sanctions prevent aid groups from delivering relief
95 percent of the population does not have enough to eat, and 3.5 million children need nutritional support. The United Nations has called the situation "a food insecurity and malnutrition crisis of unparalleled proportions."

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Texas official orders LGBT+ books pulled from library shelves
A North Texas superintendent told his employees that if they were different, "You better hide it...here in this community, we’re going to be conservative."

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COVID testing and treatment for uninsured ends
Two years into the pandemic and with a new variant on the horizon, America has officialy given up on fighting the COVID-19 virus because...how are you gonna pay for it?

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Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies at 84 of cancer
The glass ceiling-breaking Albright was remembered for her years of service to the United States and for defending the US sanctions on Iraq that led to deaths of half a million children by starvation.

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Ron Johnson REFUSES to fight for Wisconsin jobs!
OD Action partner: This is Democrats' chance to retire the Trump Republican and keep the Senate.

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SCOTUS sides with Republicans, rejects Wisconsin governor's state legislative map
The heavily partisan court flexed its muscle on behalf of Republicans in an appalling show of judicial overreach.

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Manhattan prosecutor confirms Trump committed multiple felonies before resigning
A New York lawyer who quit in protest of the DA's hesitancy to charge Trump wrote in his resignation letter that Trump lied on numerous financial statements and "committed crimes."

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Wall Street bonuses have soared by 1,743% since 1985
A new analysis finds that if the federal minimum wage had increased at the same rate, it would currently be $61.75 an hour.

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Sen. Sanders vows to reintroduce M4A bill as Biden admin continues with dangerous Medicare privatization scheme
The Biden team appears to be insistent on rebranding a Trump-era Medicare backdoor privatization scheme as millions are set to lose Medicaid coverage when pandemic extensions expire.

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Russia, Russia, Russia

Ukrainians forces retake town of Marakiv

US declares that Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine

Russian general loses his cool in face-to-face meeting with Americans

Putin tells "unfriendly countries" they have to pay for gas in rubles

Roma refugees facing widespread discrimination as they flee Ukraine

And in other news...

Chinese man bitten by venomous snake in snake wine bottle

Former Boeing pilot found not guilty in 737 MAX fraud trial

Miami Beach imposes curfew during Spring Break after two shootings

Man mauled by tiger at Florida airboat attraction

$5 million worth of ancient Israeli artifacts returned after being seized from weirdo US billionaire

Hope...

Florida program to save hungry manatees a huge success

K-pop inspired food trucks help Seoul families hit hard by COVID-19

MacKenzie Scott makes record $275 million donation to Planned Parenthood

"Anti-racist baby" book soars in sales after Ted Cruz used it as a prop to attack KBJ

Endangered baby black rhino born in Czech zoo, named 'Kyiv'

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: More Republicans enter the chat

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY MONEY, PLEASE — Maura Healey’s gubernatorial war chest has surpassed $4 million. The Democratic state attorney general will report raising $412,499 in February, the third month in a row she's raked in more than $400,000. Healey entered March with $4,237,372 in cash on hand, her campaign said. Healey again far outpaced state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, who will report raising $106,607 in February and ending the month with $351,058 in her campaign coffers. The Republicans’ totals aren’t out yet. Here’s something to watch going forward: Candidates often post bigger fundraising hauls in December and January because the new calendar year can bring fresh money from old donors. February marks the third month Chang-Díaz raised over $100,000. Her campaign said more than half of her 600 February donors were first-time contributors. March will show whether Chang-Díaz can sustain or grow her hauls — or whether her February take benefited from Harvard professor Danielle Allen dropping out and making the primary a two-woman race. WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN — Some familiar GOP faces are stepping up for statewide office. Jay McMahon is taking another stab at attorney general after losing to Healey in 2018. In a press release announcing his candidacy — sent, curiously, not by McMahon but by the MassGOP — the Cape Cod Republican and failed state Senate candidate vowed to help first responders who were fired over vaccine mandates regain their jobs. Former state Rep. Kate Campanale is running for lieutenant governor — as Chris Doughty’s running mate. But the new duo has to make it through separate primaries to actually run as a ticket. That means Campanale, the only major Republican vying for LG, could wind up paired up with Doughty’s rival, former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, come November. For Doughty, the addition of Campanale — who ran unsuccessfully for Worcester register of deeds in 2018 and is married to state Rep. Peter Durant, her former boss — adds some establishment heft to the political novice’s campaign. And pairing a more moderate businessman with a more conservative central-Massachusetts lawmaker has worked for Republicans in the past. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Cutting the cost of child care. Check. Combating the opioid crisis. Check. Making corporations and the wealthy pay “their fair share.” Check. One glaring omission from President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech : canceling federal student loan debt — a priority for Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley. Pressley tweeted that she was “encouraged” by Biden’s calls to enact paid family and medical leave and raise the minimum wage — but that it's "past time" to "#CancelStudentDebt.” Climate change barely got a shout in a speech reshaped by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sen. Ed Markey responded by urging his colleagues to pass climate justice and clean energy provisions in the stalled Build Back Better plan — which the president was careful not to mention by name — en route to “delivering on a Green New Deal.” TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito join a roundtable discussion on the administration's dangerousness and "revenge porn" legislation at 10 a.m. at the Springfield YWCA. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new High Street Place Food Hall at 9 a.m. Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com. Also, we’re aware that some links may be missing from Playbook when we publish. Our engineers are still working on it.   BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER:  The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.     ON THE STUMP — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell will report raising $329,488 in her first month campaigning for state attorney general. Her February haul is also her highest monthly total to date, including her mayoral and council bids, her campaign said. Campbell entered March with nearly $320,000 in cash on hand. — CASH DASH: Quentin Palfrey, one of Campbell’s rivals for AG, will report raising $101,942 and ending February with $246,877 in cash on hand, his team said. — State Sen. Eric Lesser will report raising $100,410 in his bid for lieutenant governor and growing his war chest to $884,000, his campaign said. — “GOP gubernatorial hopeful Chris Doughty picks former lawmaker as running mate,” by Matt Stout and Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “Appearing together at Stearns Tavern on Tuesday, Doughty and [Kate] Campanale pitched themselves as a unified ticket that’s largely untethered from national Republicans or the ideological divide currently battering the state GOP. ‘This election isn’t about Donald Trump or Joe Biden. It isn’t even about Charlie Baker,’ Campanale, 36, said, flanked by about 20 supporters and Doughty campaign staff. ‘It’s about looking forward.'" — “The Rev. Miniard Culpepper announces run for state Senate after two decades at HUD,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “The Rev. Miniard Culpepper, a community advocate, lawyer, and senior pastor at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Dorchester, announced his run for the state Senate on Tuesday, a move that follows his decision to retire as regional counsel for the nation’s housing authority. … The field already includes state Representatives Nika Elugardo and Liz Miranda, who both represent parts of Boston, but Culpepper said his status as Beacon Hill outsider will help set him apart in his appeal to voters.” — “Jeffrey Morneau has announced his candidacy for Mary Hurley Governor’s Council seat,” by Douglas Hook, MassLive: “Just hours after Mary E. Hurley announced that she will be standing aside in the upcoming Massachusetts Governor’s Council elections for the eighth district, Jeffrey Morneau has announced that he will be running for her seat.” THE LATEST NUMBERS — “Massachusetts’ coronavirus hospitalizations drop to lowest patient tally in more than 6 months,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The total of 394 patients is the lowest hospitalization count since Aug. 14, when there were 384 patients in Bay State hospitals. The state Department of Public Health on Tuesday also reported 1,209 daily coronavirus cases, a 17% drop from the 1,459 infections reported two Tuesdays ago. … In the state’s weekly breakthrough report, the state Department of Public Health reported 3,488 breakthrough infections last week — a 45% drop from the 6,312 fully vaccinated cases during the prior week.” DATELINE BEACON HILL — BAKER’S FULL-COURT PRESS: Gov. Charlie Baker has been ramping up his pressure on the Legislature to act on his bills that would revamp the state’s criminal dangerousness statute and outlaw “revenge porn.” Baker has been posting a series of tweets highlighting the stories of survivors of domestic abuse and other violent crimes that were shared with him at a Plymouth roundtable last December. Today, Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will hold another roundtable with survivors, this one in Springfield, as they continue to prod lawmakers to take up the thrice-filed legislation. — NOT SO FAST: A bipartisan and bicameral group of 58 lawmakers, led by House Minority Leader Brad Jones, sent Treasurer Deb Goldberg a letter asking her to divest any state pension funds invested in Russian-owned companies. Goldberg replied that she, too, is “horrified” by Russia’s assault on Ukraine — but that her hands are tied without an act of the Legislature. The Boston Herald’s Amy Sokolow has more. — “New offshore wind bill drops electric bill charges,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “House leaders on Tuesday abandoned a proposal to hike electric ratepayer bills as they pulled together the votes needed to pass legislation offering significant financial incentives to the offshore wind industry to put down roots in Massachusetts. ‘There will be other opportunities to put more money in this. We want to keep the debate about building an industry,’ said House Speaker Ron Mariano. ‘We didn’t want this bill to get killed because of an argument over consumer electric bills.’” — “Two protesters arrested at State House,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “State Police on Tuesday arrested two people at the Massachusetts State House who authorities said were part of a group protesting new rules that visitors must provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before entering the building.” VAX-ACHUSETTS — “Mass. no longer requiring masks on school buses for K-12 students, officials say,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “State public health officials said Tuesday that Massachusetts school children no longer have to mask up on their buses, the latest in a series of moves relaxing the COVID-19 guidelines as the impact of the punishing Omicron surge earlier this winter continues to wane. … The Boston Public Schools will be keeping its mask mandate on buses in place for the time being, a spokesperson said Tuesday in an email.” — “Do at-home COVID-19 antigen tests detect the omicron variant as well as delta? UMass researchers now have a better idea,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “UMass researchers in a new study say that reports of at-home COVID-19 antigen tests struggling to quickly detect the omicron variant may have been ‘overstated.’ The at-home antigen tests were slightly better at detecting omicron variant infections than delta variant cases, according to the study authored by UMass Chan Medical School and associated researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics initiative.”   SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today.     FROM THE HUB — “Boston to drop indoor mask mandate for businesses, health chief says,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Boston will lift its mask mandate on Saturday, allowing the bare-faced back into businesses — though the step doesn’t apply to Boston Public Schools. … The district continues to have a mask mandate for teachers and students alike, and the BPHC will further discuss masks in schools at its next meeting on March 9.” — “Boston School Committee to sign superintendent’s separation agreement Wednesday night,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “The Boston Public Schools Committee is expected to sign a separation agreement Wednesday giving Superintendent Brenda Cassellius at least $311,000 to walk away from her job in June after just three years in the post.” — “Michelle Wu defends move to get rid of early-morning protesters at her home,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “When it was pointed out that the main ‘someone’ who’s being picketed these days is her, meaning this primarily benefits her and her neighborhood in that they’d no longer have to deal with the regular early morning anti-vaccine-mandate demonstrators, [Boston Mayor Michelle Wu] pushed back. She said that City Council President Ed Flynn, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius and others had had some bouts of similar targeted protests, if not for so long of a time.” — “Health officials report an overdose death at Roundhouse,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “A woman died of an apparent drug overdose Monday at the Roundhouse hotel, the controversial housing site and healthcare clinic that has been used to place and treat people who were living at the tent encampments at Mass. and Cass, city and health officials said.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES  — “On first day of fare-free bus pilot, Wu boards 29 bus for celebratory ride,” by Taylor Dolven and Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: “Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston took a free bus ride Tuesday morning, launching a two-year pilot program of fare-free buses on three MBTA routes. … Most riders waiting for the 29 bus at Jackson Square Tuesday did not know the three bus routes were fare free. The buses are supposed to have a digital sign reading ‘Ride for Free,’ but many were still without them Tuesday morning.” FROM THE DELEGATION — “Sen. Ed Markey seeks to choke off $20B in Russian oil imports to US that help ‘fuel Putin’s despicable war on Ukraine’,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive: “Coming during a wave of severe economic sanctions, worldwide protests and increased calls to boycott Russian-made goods after [President Vladimir] Putin’s forces rolled into Ukraine last week, Markey’s newly proposed bill — the Severing Putin’s Immense Gains from Oil Transfers (SPIGOT) Act — would bar imports of all Russian crude oil and petroleum products unless the president authorized a national security waiver.” — “Lawmakers push Biden administration to give Ukrainians temporary protection,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “Massachusetts Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Ayanna Pressley and Stephen Lynch as well as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey were among dozens of legislators who wrote President Joe Biden on Tuesday, urging him to use ‘all available pathways’ under the law to protect individuals of Ukrainian nationality already in the U.S. on temporary visas.” THE OPINION PAGES — “So Long, Charlie. RIP, GOP,” by Jon Keller, Boston Magazine: “Poor Charlie Baker. Heir to a generational legacy of thoughtful, civil, community-minded, results-oriented Republicans, his departure now clears the way within his party for the ascendance of dismissive Trumpian ideologues.” FROM THE 413 — “Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno appoints 5 to Police Commission; disappoints those who sought community input,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “A new five-member Police Commission is now in place to oversee the operations of the Police Department. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced the appointment of the new panel Tuesday after the close of the business day. His appointees include four of the members of the Civilian Community Police Hearing Board that had previously worked with now-superintendent Cheryl C. Clapprood to review citizen complaints.” — “FEMA reimbursing BMC for some pandemic-related costs,” by Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle: “The Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending $2.9 million to Massachusetts to cover BMC for some of the costs associated with operating in a pandemic environment — it included operating safely and handling increased patient loads — from June 2020 to September 2020.” — “Petition calls on UMass to make campus safer after student killed,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “An online petition is calling on the University of Massachusetts to make the campus safer for pedestrians following last week’s crash that killed a student while she was crossing Massachusetts Avenue.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Federal audit slams local districts and Mass. education department’s oversight of emergency aid,” by James Vaznis and Bianca Vázquez Toness, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts school districts opened their doors four years ago to more than 6,000 students from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands who were fleeing from the devastation caused by hurricanes Maria and Irma. Along the way, the districts collectively picked up millions of dollars in extra federal aid that was supposed to be used for their schooling. But now a recently completed federal audit is raising questions about misspending and is blaming the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administered the federal program locally, for basically shuffling along paperwork and money.” — “The minimum salary to be happy in Massachusetts is $139,125, according to Purdue study,” by Cassie McGrath, MassLive: “Despite these findings, the median household income in the commonwealth is $81,215, according to Census.gov.” — “Health system Wellforce changes name to Tufts Medicine,” by Doug Banks, Boston Business Journal: “Wellforce, the health system that includes such hospitals as Lowell General, MelroseWakefield and Tufts Medical Center, is changing its name to Tufts Medicine.” MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND — “Providence mayor forms reparations commission,” by Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press: “The 13-member panel is charged with examining reparation work being done in other cities, conducting community outreach and creating recommendations for ways the city can begin repairing harms.” SPOTTED at SOTU — Labor Secretary Marty Walsh; Sen. Elizabeth Warren; Sen. Ed Markey, wearing a mask as a reminder that immunocompromised people and those over 60 remain at higher risk for severe Covid-19 illness; Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark and Rep. Lori Trahan, along with other members, wearing blue and yellow in a show of solidarity with Ukraine; and Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Jim McGovern wearing blue-and-yellow pins. NOT SPOTTED at SOTU — Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the former Rhode Island governor, who was the designated survivor. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former Rep. Brian Donnelly, Kevin Madden, Joseph Gravellese and John Krol. 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 Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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