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星期四, 4月 30, 2020

麻州單日死亡/申領失業救濟人數創新高 252/80萬人


              (Boston Orange 綜合編譯)麻州新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)疫情再創單日新增死亡人數最高記錄,429日有252人死亡,累計3405人。失業率也創新高,較往年同期增加1015倍。
這天的COVID-19確診人數,新增1,963,累計60,265。麻州公共衛生廳報告,做過病毒檢測的人數,現已累計至265,618人。住院人數持續居高,現有3,856人,其中1,011人住在重症病房。
429日的每日疫情會報中,麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)指出,打零工及自僱者這些傳統來說不符合申請失業救濟的人,已遞交出15萬份失業救濟申請,州政府也已付了5億元給這些人。從疫情發生以來,上星期已有超過65萬人申請傳統失業救濟,麻州失業援助處現也已發出失業救濟金給40萬人,從315日以來,總計已發出23億美元。這些失業救濟申請的數量之高前所未見,比之前最高數量高了1015倍。
為處理所有這些申請案,失業救濟辦公室的呼叫中心員工,已從50人增加到1200人。
在疫情方面,查理·貝克表示,麻州仍處於大流行的“高原”帶,最近幾週住院治療保持相當穩定,但“比急劇上升要好”。至於何時可重新開放,還是要看數據說話。
在麻州公共衛生廳關於大流行病個別各鎮受影響情況的每週更新中,受病毒打擊最嚴重的社區基本保持不變。雀喜市(Chelsea) 的感染率仍然全州最高。與雀喜市接壤的埃弗里特(Everett),以及附近的林市(Lynn),在南波士頓彼此相鄰的布洛克頓(Brockton)和蘭道夫(Randolph)仍是感染率排名前五的社區。
受打擊最嚴重社區的感染率也繼續增加。雀喜市的比率從上週的每10萬居民有3,841.8宗病例躍升至每10萬居民有5,217.1病例。排名前十的每個社區,比率都增加了。
純粹看數目的話,波士頓既是全州病例總數最高的,有9,284例,也是增幅最大的,在過去兩週中增加了4,675宗新病例,和415日麻州政府首度報告每個市鎮的數據時,增加了一倍多。
布洛克頓鎮的案例也增加了一倍多,從1,202增至2,735。以未經調整的數據來看,增幅第三大的是屋斯特(Worcester),從886例增加到2,284例。
查理貝克表示,在疫情當中,確保工人得到應有的福利,是州政府在如何處理這非常真實的經濟影響上,很重要的一部”。
新型冠狀病毒已在全球殺死219,000多人,其中在美國的有58,000多人。
查理貝克強調,在公共衛生數據顯示安全之前,麻州都不會重新開放。麻州新組的重新開放顧問委員會已在週二時舉行了很有成效的第一次遠距會議。
查理貝克承認,由病毒引起的死亡人數可能被低估了。專家們說,由於沒人看見病毒在州內的傳播,人們很可能錯過了早期病例。
至於川普總統週二時曾表示,可能扣留那些有 “庇護城市”州的新型冠狀病毒補助款。查理貝克回應此說法時表示,他不認為援助應該由和手頭上問題無關的某些“大局勢所驅動。
麻州州長的每日疫情匯報視頻,原本是在州政府公共衛生廳COVID-19網頁上每日直播,並留在網上,供民眾察看。429日的視頻,在430日卻出現視頻已被上載者取下字樣,頗不尋常。在推特上已有7000人看過的這段視頻,也只留有封面頁。

星期三, 4月 29, 2020

紅襪隊今起受理退費 4/2至5/28芬衛場賽事持票者

RED SOX OFFER REFUNDS, CREDITS,
AND EXCHANGES FOR APRIL AND MAY GAMES

BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox will today begin offering ticket holders the opportunity for refunds, credits, and exchanges for Fenway Park games scheduled between April 2 and May 28. 

“As we continue to evaluate possibilities for the 2020 season, it’s important that we provide options to our ticket buyers for games scheduled in April and May,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “We appreciate how patient our fans have been as we worked through the implications of the pandemic on our schedule. We extend our best wishes for the health and safety of the individuals and families in Red Sox Nation.”

Fans who purchased individual tickets directly from the Red Sox will have three options:
§  Receive a full refund;
§  Receive a credit to their account which can be used during the 2020 or 2021 seasons;
§  Exchange their tickets for a future game this season (fans will have the option to immediately select their new tickets and complete the exchange online).

Season ticket holders will have the option of receiving a full refund for impacted games or a credit towards additional 2020 regular season tickets or for the 2021 season. Those season ticket holders who choose a credit will receive a 10% bonus credit incremental to the total dollar amount of their season tickets for these games.

Season Ticket Holders and individual game buyers will receive an email in which they can make their selection. Fans who do not make a selection will be automatically refunded.

For additional details, season ticket holders can call their season ticket account executive and all other fans can call the Red Sox ticket office at 877-Red-Sox-9.

波士頓市長馬丁華殊詳細匯報抗疫進展 籲市民耐心遵守忠告

波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)勸諭市民持續尊重疫情
期間各項抗疫措施。(市長辦公室提供)
           (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Marty Walsh)(29)日下午匯報疫情,說明波市府將與州政府同步,一應居家,宵禁,集會不得多於10人等勸諭令,效期展延至518日。已再撥款140萬元,支持18機構對抗COVID-19疫情。
             波士頓市也從聯邦政府那兒獲得1000萬元經費,支持租金救濟,以及小企業救濟項目。馬丁華殊強調,州政府已通過法案,在公共衛生緊急時期,禁止逼遷或取消貸款贖回權。任何有付租,繳貸款困難者,應和房東,銀行商量解決辦法。波市府和非牟利機構合作,已處理了800宗租金救濟申請。
             馬丁華殊今日宣佈,Leader 銀行和Berkshire銀行也簽約加入市府的防止取消貸款贖回權計畫,現在有17家銀行同意償還貸款可展延三個月,或在需要時展延更長時間,同時也不會向信用機構舉報遲繳款。他提醒交租或還貸款有困難的居民,和房東及銀行協商之外,還可致電波市府求助617-635-HOME
             馬丁華殊今日下午的匯報,觸及面很廣,從波士頓市今日COVID-19數據為9055確診,340人死亡,1986人痊癒開始,陸續說明了各項抗疫行動的進展。
             麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)日前宣佈居家勸諭令,以及非基本服務企業關閉實體店等規定的效期,展延至518日,另成立17人的重新開放顧問委員會。波士頓市長馬丁華殊今日表示,將配合州政府決策,市內與對抗COVID-19的有關舉措,效期也展延至518日。市長的幕僚長Kathryn Burton將以重新開放顧問委員身分,協調波士頓市與麻州的開放行動框架。
           馬丁華殊認為全面檢測有助減緩疫情,已經由波士頓彈性基金的支持,再多安排芬衛健康(Fenway Health),多徹斯特的 Driscoll-Neponset健康中心,以及布萊頓(Brighton)的查理士河社區健康(Charles River Community Health)3家社區醫療中心加入提供COVID-19檢測行列。
           一旦這3家機構正式開始提供服務,波士頓市內將有19COVID-19病毒檢測站。查詢各檢測站的地址,營運時間及聯絡資訊,可上網boston.gov/coronavirus
            波士頓市也將持續經由市府或非牟利機構經營的庇護所,全面為流浪漢做檢測。
            波市府推出的1000名居民抗體檢測,預定本週末可以全部完成。參加檢測者都同時做了抗體,以及COVID-19病毒檢測。
             波士頓彈性基金迄今已從將近5000名捐贈者那兒募得2740萬元,也已發出1520萬元給165個機構。今(29)波士頓市又發出140萬元給18個機構,收受者包括大波士頓食物銀行,在多徹斯特,洛士百利,麥特潘等地的地方食物供應者,以及服務耆英,移民社區的機構等。
             在食物方面,學校關閉令生效後,波市府和合作夥伴已在全市各地65個地點,提供了將近50萬份餐食。其中7個有較大需求地點,現在也為成年人提供餐食。最新的一個今(29)日在東波士頓社交中心開張。明天(30),第8個地點將在落士百利波士頓房屋住宅局(BHA)Alice Taylor公寓開張。查詢餐食供應站地圖及其他食物資訊,可上網boston.gov/coronavirus
             波士頓市府為小企業提供的資源包括200萬元的小企業救濟基金,目前已發出83%500多個企業。新一輪的聯邦資金將容許波市府完成所有符合條件並經批准的補助申請。
             由於波士頓市許多學童家無電腦,在學校課業轉由網路教授後,波士頓市府已發放3萬個免費Chromebook電腦,並設置了2400個無線網路熱點,好讓各家庭可以上網。家有小孩需要Chromebook及無線網路者,可上網bostonpublicschools.org,或打電話3-1-1求助。
原本已訂有網路服務者,波士頓的網際網路和無線供應商已同意三月及四月暫停斷線或遲交費罰款。委瑞森(Verizon),康卡斯(Comcast)RCN已同意前述協議展延至630日。
           為加強抗疫效果,波士頓市長馬丁華殊還懇請社區領袖協助轉告,勸諭民眾,保持至少6英尺的社交安全距離,加強洗手等衛生習慣,儘量待在家哩,避免和其他人接觸,尊重晚上9點到凌晨6點的宵禁等,對壓平曲線,搶救生命的重要性。
馬丁華殊也特別提醒跑步或騎自行車者,戴口罩既是保護自己,也是保護他人。他提醒市民,很多人感染了COVID-19,卻沒有症狀,所以很多人在跑步或騎自行車時,不自覺的就把病毒傳染給身邊的人了。他也一再強調,有症狀的人,千萬不要猶豫,趕快找醫生,或打3-1-1健康熱線。如果是急症,要立刻打911。感覺自己面對家暴威脅,或看到有人被虐待,也應該撥打市府熱線。

Boston Children’s Museum Receives Lilly Endowment Grant to Explore Religious Literacy

Boston Children’s Museum Receives Lilly Endowment Grant to Explore Religious Literacy

The Museum Partners with Harvard Divinity School to Promote Understanding About Religions and Identity

Boston, MA—April 29, 2020 — Boston Children’s Museum has received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to conduct research into religious identity and spirituality in the context of the public experience of the Museum. The grant is funding explorations into ways to improve understanding of religions and foster knowledge and respect for diverse religious beliefs. 

“Religion is already part of the fabric of the Museum,” said Leslie Swartz, Senior Vice President for Research and Planning, and the project’s leader at the Museum. “People of different faiths are welcome, present and visible at the Museum, reflecting the religious diversity of metropolitan Boston. This project will help us better understand how children and families think about religion and its role in their lives and guide the Museum in how it can provide a welcoming environment for sharing, understanding, and affirming a multiplicity of world views.” 

A core element of the research is the Museum’s partnership with the Harvard Divinity School’s Religious Literacy Project. The Museum and the Religious Literacy Project are conducting a seminar that explores how to foster practices that advance religious literacy relevant to Boston and children age birth through ten, their caregivers, and their educators. Divinity School students are conducting research into ways the Museum can foster curiosity and conduct meaningful and respectful conversations about the lived experiences of religion in our daily lives. 

“I have long held the deepest respect for Boston Children’s Museum—as a parent, as an educator, and now as a partner,” said Diane L. Moore, director of the Religious Literacy Project. “The Religious Literacy Project is honored to support the Museum as it takes up the important task of integrating religious experience into its programming and approach. Religion has always been a vital part of our shared civic experience—shaping the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the wider world. Now, more than ever, we need fresh approaches to advancing the public understanding of religion—approaches that can spur children’s creativity and moral imagination toward building a more just and peaceful society. This partnership will advance that goal to the benefit of Boston and far beyond.”
The seminar conducted this spring includes eight students. The seminar will be followed by a full-time summer internship program (open to the seminar participants only) at the Museum that will build on the research conducted in the seminar.

塔芙茨大學社區研究中心徵集項目 經費平均一年$12,000

公開徵集計畫書
塔芙茨大學Tisch學院社區研究中心(TCRC)是塔芙茨大學研究人員和來自波士頓,劍橋,薩默維爾,梅德福和格拉夫頓/伍斯特地區的社區代表合作的項目。
TCRC 2020-21種子基金的大學-社區研究計畫,現面向塔芙茨大學教職員,以及其社區夥伴開放,可用於任何領域的研究。以一年(202071日和2021630日)為期,金額平均$12,000
申請者的研究團隊必須包括至少一名塔夫茨大學有教職任命的研究員,以及至少一名來自社區組織的代表。強烈建議,但並不規定要因應社區團體辨識出的緊急或被忽視的問題,以及/或者與塔夫茨主社區(包括波士頓唐人街)有關的問題。查詢TCRC,先前資助的項目以及申請過程等資訊,請參閱:https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/research/tcrc
提案截止日期:美國東部時間202054日星期一,下午5點。

如有任何疑問或查詢更多訊息,請與TCRC主任Elaine Donnelly聯繫:elaine.donnelly@tufts.edu


Open Request for Proposals

The Tisch College Community Research Center at Tufts (TCRC) is a collaborative of Tufts researchers and community representatives from Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and Grafton/Worcester areas.

The TCRC 2020-21 seed grant opportunity for community-university research projects is open to Tufts faculty and their community partners, in any discipline or field. Awards averaging $12,000 are available for a one-year period (July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021). Applicant research teams must include at least one Tufts-based researcher with a faculty appointment and at least one representative from a community-based organization. Proposals are highly encouraged but not required to address urgent or overlooked issues identified by community groups and/or issues related to Tufts host communities (including Boston Chinatown). For information on TCRC, previously funded projects, and the application process, please see: https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/research/tcrc

Proposal deadline: Monday, May 4, 2020, 5:00 PM EST.

Please reach out to Elaine Donnelly, Director of TCRC, with any questions or further information: elaine.donnelly@tufts.edu


MAYOR WALSH AND FUND STEERING COMMITTEE AWARD $1.4 MILLION IN GRANTS THROUGH BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND

MAYOR WALSH AND FUND STEERING COMMITTEE AWARD $1.4 MILLION IN GRANTS THROUGH BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND
BOSTON - Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced the distribution of an additional $1.4 million in funds to support 18 organizations that provide critical services and support to residents, vulnerable populations, and Boston families whose wellbeing is most immediately impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

This round of funding is aimed at providing continued support for community health centers to allow them to increase their capacity for testing, organizations working to ensure food access for residents, support for home-bound elders and community-based organizations in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan. To date, including this most recent funding award, the Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed $15.2 million in 96 emergency grants to 165 organizations.
 
"During these hard times, we're working to ensure that every person in Boston has access to the care and support they need," said Mayor Walsh. "Through the Boston Resiliency Fund, we are supporting local efforts of all scales - from large citywide operations to our community-based organizations, all of which are providing critical services to residents. With this funding, we are allocating resources that will allow organizations to bolster their operations and keep residents working, moving our city forward for everyone."

Since its creation in March, the Boston Resiliency Fund has raised over $27 million from over 4,945 individual donors. The Fund will continue accepting donations from individuals, organizations and philanthropic partners who wish to contribute and offer their support, and 100 percent of donations will be awarded to local organizations, with the majority of future grants to be made through the end of  May. Organizations are encouraged to complete a statement of interest to be considered for future grants.

Today, 18 organizations will receive grants to expand their capacity or adjust their service model to meet the immediate needs of Boston residents during this public health emergency. 37 percent of the organizations receiving grants today are led by a person of color and 47 percent are women-led organizations. To date, 39 percent of all organizations receiving grants are led by a person of color and 64 percent are women-led organizations.
 
"The South Boston Association of Nonprofits (SBANP) is grateful to Mayor Walsh and for donations through the Boston Resiliency Fund. Our grant will make sure the residents of South Boston have access to food during this crisis," said Anna White, co-president of the South Boston Association of Nonprofits. "Through the leadership of the Association, member organizations will collaborate to ensure that food access is available at locations throughout the community. Food requests to our member organizations increase daily and this funding ensures the food needs in our neighborhood will be met."

"In the midst of current events, our staff here at Fathers' Uplift have seen critical needs emerging in our community firsthand. While we have engaged in efforts to provide direct assistance to families hit hardest by the economic, emotional, mental, and physical impact of COVID-19, the need is significant," said Charles Daniels and Samantha Fils-Daniels, co-founders of Fathers' Uplift. "From delivery of supplies, to emergency cash assistance, to the provision of mental health services in the fact of a massive spike in anxiety and distress, our resources have been stretched thin. We are grateful and excited to have the partnership of the City of Boston through the Boston Resiliency Fund to ensure the needs of our constituents in at-risk neighborhoods of Boston are cared for."

The grants range in size and will be awarded to the following organizations:

Continued support to community health centers and healthcare systems: Boston Resiliency Fund has now dedicated $1,000,000 to expand COVID-19 testing and conduct culturally appropriate outreach and education at 13 community health centers across City of Boston neighborhoods.
Ensuring Boston's children and families have access to food and basic needs:
Support for organizations doing work in Dorchester, Roxbury, Hyde Park, Mattapan and Roslindale, neighborhoods experiencing higher rates of COVID-19:
  • Fathers' Uplift, Inc.will provide at-risk families with financial assistance in the face of economic hardship and will offer mental health and wellness options. Their services are specifically targeted towards fathers of color and their families in Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury. 
  • My Brother's Keeper Boston, in partnership with MBK 617: will continue to build safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color and will provide gift cards for basic necessities and essentials.
  • Nehemiah Project for Hope and MA Association of Haitian Parents: will deliver weekly groceries and basic toiletry needs to families in the Haitian Community. 
Support for food delivery to older Bostonians who are unable to leave their homes:
  • 2Life Communitieswill prepare and deliver seven home-delivered meals per week to over 900 low-income seniors who live in their Brighton facilities and are unable to leave their apartments.
  • Bunker Hill Associates: will deliver grocery items for the most vulnerable or immunocompromised residents living in senior buildings in Charlestown who are unable to leave their home to get groceries. 
  • Haitian American United: will work with two Haitian cuisine caterers based in Boston to prepare two meals for community elders at least three times per week. In addition, two Haitian drivers will be hired to deliver food to families.
  • Rose's Bounty Food Pantrywill continue making personal deliveries to the elderly now that senior centers are closed, and will keep open their drive-through pantry. 
Support for Boston's vulnerable populations including immigrants, homeless individuals and domestic violence survivors:
  • Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)will financially assist clients who are undocumented or pending status, many of whom are living below the poverty level.
  • Cathedral Church of St. Paulwill medically screen and welcome up to 200 unhoused people, in shifts, providing them hot meals and bagged lunches, water, access to restrooms and outlets for charging phones.
  • Common Cathedralwill work to meet the increased demand for access to boxed take-out meals, a safe place to rest and bathrooms for homeless individuals in and around Boston Common.
  • Somali Development Centerwill coordinate the pick-up and delivery of meals from a local Somali restaurant by hiring drivers that have lost their means of income due to COVID-19.
As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are quickly evolving and potentially long-lasting, the City and the Steering Committee will work closely with non-profit partners and service providers to understand how their needs will change. As a result, the priorities of the fund may change as the needs of Boston residents evolve.
 
The Boston Resiliency Fund exists within the Boston Charitable Trust, an existing 501(c)(3) designated trust fund managed by the City of Boston's Treasury Department. For more information on how to make a donation, please visit: boston.gov/resiliency-fund. For general inquiries, please email brf@boston.gov.
 
To learn more about other funds serving Boston nonprofits, please visit Philanthropy Massachusetts' resource page. In addition, the COVID-19 Response Fund at The Boston Foundation and the COVID-19 Family Support Fund at the United Way are working to rapidly distribute resources to organizations and individuals in Greater Boston that are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

TripAdvisor裁員900人 關閉波士頓市中心辦公室


               (Boston Orange 編譯)座落在麻州尼罕(Needham)的旅遊業軟體公司TripAdvisors428日宣佈,受疫情影響,將裁員900人,其中600在美國,300在加拿大,約佔該公司員工總數25%。                   波士頓及舊金山的衛星辦公司將關閉。
                  TripAdvisors期待今年稍後可以復業,還要求員工放無薪假,但未透露人數
                該公司執行長Steve Kaufer在部落格文章中表示,病毒大流行的持續延燒,逼使該公司採取比刪減花費,放無薪假等原定應急計畫更激進的做法。他表示,還留在公司的員工將被要求,從6月起,改為一周工作4天,減薪20%。他說這樣做約可保住100個工作機會。
             該公司也將縮減版圖,關閉波士頓市中心,以及舊金山的辦公室,准許員工繼續遠距辦公。 波士頓員工也可以從該公司位於尼罕鎮的總部工作。
             根據該公司去年12月向證券交易所遞交的文件,該公司聘有員工4200人,其中45%在美國。早在疫情襲擊美國之前,該公司就已知道病毒對該行業來說是個危險因素。
             1月份時,據說TripAdvisor因未來自谷歌的競爭,裁員200人。
             本地旅遊業受疫情打擊的公司還包括3月時裁員34人的初創企業Lola.com,以及Hopper

TripAdvisor 裁員900人


                   (Boston Orange 編譯)座落在麻州尼罕(Needham)的旅遊業軟體公司TripAdvisors428日宣佈,受疫情影響,將裁員900人,其中600在美國,300在加拿大,約佔該公司員工總數25%。波士頓及舊金山的衛星辦公司將關閉。
                   TripAdvisors期待今年稍後可以復業,還要求員工放無薪假,但未透露人數
                   該公司執行長Steve Kaufer在部落格文章中表示,病毒大流行的持續延燒,逼使該公司採取比刪減花費,放無薪假等原定應急計畫更激進的做法。他表示,還留在公司的員工將被要求,從6月起,改為一周工作4天,減薪20%。他說這樣做約可保住100個工作機會。
                   該公司也將縮減版圖,關閉波士頓市中心,以及舊金山的辦公室,准許員工繼續遠距辦公。波士頓員工也可以從該公司位於尼罕鎮的總部工作。
                根據該公司去年12月向證券交易所遞交的文件,該公司聘有員工4200人,其中45%在美國。早在疫情襲擊美國之前,該公司就已知道病毒對該行業來說是個危險因素。
                  1月份時,據說TripAdvisor因未來自谷歌的競爭,裁員200人。
            本地旅遊業受疫情打擊的公司還包括3月時裁員34人的初創企業Lola.com,以及Hopper