人生一定要有的八個朋友：
推手(Builder)、
支柱(Champion)、
同好(Collaborator)、
夥伴(Companion)、
中介(Connector)、
開心果(Energizer)、
開路者(Mind Opener)、
導師(Navigator)。
chutze@bostonorange.com
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As coronavirus vaccinations increase
in the United States, questions about vaccine acceptance linger.
Drawing from a recent examination of 39 polls,
Harvard public opinion expert Gillian SteelFisher will discuss public
attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines with The World’s Elana Gordon. Do
Americans believe vaccination means a quick return to pre-pandemic
normality? Who do Americans trust about vaccine safety? What groups
are less likely to say they will get vaccinated? And why is
understanding these public opinions critical for the overall
sustained success of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the U.S.? Email
your questions to theforum@hsph.harvard.edu or post
your questions to Facebook @ForumHSPH
or @pritheworld.
MODERATOR Elana Gordon,
Reporter and Producer, The World
SPEAKER Gillian
SteelFisher, Senior Research Scientist, Harvard T.H.
Chan School of Public Health, and Deputy Director of the Harvard
Opinion Research Program (HORP) and Director of Global Polling Unit,
HORP
Ways to Watch — No Registration Required to Watch
Online
MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF BOSTON’S
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY
Expanded policy will double the time off
available to eligible City of Boston employees, allowing for up to twelve
weeks of paid parental leave
BOSTON - Friday,
March 19, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the expansion of
the City of Boston’s Paid Parental Leave Policy for eligible employees.
These changes build upon Boston's first-ever Paid Parental Leave Policy, signed by
Mayor Walsh in 2015. The policy will now
allow for up to twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave, doubling the
previous maximum of six weeks, to employees who have worked for the City
for at least one year. The new Paid Parental Leave Policy takes effect
May 1, 2021.
"The COVID-19
pandemic has reminded us that working families are the backbone of our
economy,” said Mayor Walsh. “Now more than ever, it’s important to
support working families who have navigated many challenges over the past
year, including managing childcare. Paid Parental Leave is a critical
tool that ensures working families have the resources they need during a
very busy time in their lives.I was proud to enact the City’s first Paid ftParental Leave
policy, and I’m delighted to continue the City’s progress by expanding
these benefits even further.”
“The City of
Boston is committed to the health and well-being of our employees. By
doubling the City’s Paid Parental Leave, we are improving a benefit that
supports our employees and their families. Mayor Walsh has been committed
to re-envisioning the City of Boston as a modern, employee-focused
employer. This enhanced policy further demonstrates his commitment to
improving the employee experience and will ensure that the City continues
to attract and retain quality talent to public service,” said Emme Handy,
Chief of Administration and Finance.
The City’s
expanded Paid Parental Leave policy features:
·Up
to twelve (12) weeks of Paid Parental Leave to be taken during the first
year after the birth or adoption of the child or children.
·Applies
to employees, both non-union and union, who are covered by a collective
bargaining agreement that explicitly provides for this benefit. Employees
must have worked for the City for a minimum of one year to be eligible.
·If
both parents are employed by the City and meet the eligibility criteria,
each employee is separately entitled to up to twelve (12) weeks of Paid
Parental Leave.
“The COVID-19
pandemic has reinforced that working parents face daunting challenges
that are not being met by today’s labor market,” said Dr. Jonathan
Gruber, Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. “The U.S. has lagged behind the rest of the world in
providing the type of paid leave that is essential to allowing for both
healthy child development and healthy careers for parents. Boston was
already a leader in providing paid leave, and this extension continues
that leadership. The innovative plan will make it possible for new
parents to take the time they need to recover, and it is fiscally
responsible in providing the most generous benefits for the first month
while still providing partial pay through twelve weeks. I applaud Boston
for this bold and innovative step.”
Compensation under
the expanded Paid Parental Leave will be structured as follows:
100-percent for the first 4 weeks; 75-percent for weeks 5 through 8; and
50-percent for weeks 9 through 12.
As a State
Representative, Mayor Walsh was the lead sponsor of the legislation that
went into effect on April 7, 2015, which updated the former Massachusetts
Maternity Leave Act of 1972, renamed it the Massachusetts Parental Leave
Act and codified that it would be available for all couples for the first
time. In 2015, Mayor Walsh implemented the City’s first-ever Paid
Parental Leave Policy that provided up to six weeks of paid parental
leave. The original policy provided the foundation for the current policy
expansion.
Statement:
Michelle Wu on Today's City of Boston Announcement of Paid Leave
Expansion
Boston, MA— The following statement can
be attributed to Boston City Councilor and Mayoral Candidate Michelle Wu:
“Six years ago, as a new City Councilor and a new mom, I was
proud to introduce Boston’s first ever paid parental leave ordinance. Our
legislation set a standard for government agencies and employers across
the country to support working families and guarantee equity for families
of all types. As a working mom with two young kids, I know the
near-impossible juggle that so many of our Boston families are bearing,
especially as so many have been further destabilized through the
pandemic. Paid leave, childcare, and schools are critical infrastructure
for our families and our economy. I’m running for Mayor to bring bold,
urgent leadership in making Boston a city for everyone--the most
family-friendly city in the country.”
(National ACE) Board Chair, Dr. Karen Eng will emcee a National #AAPI#COVID19 Vaccine Learning and Listening Session on March 25, 2021, beginning at 7 p.m./Eastern. This conversation will include health and wellness specialists from
MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES BOSTON TO MOVE INTO
MODIFIED PHASE 4, STEP 1 OF THE MASSACHUSETTS REOPENING PLAN
BOSTON - Friday,
March 19, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City of
Boston will move into a modified Phase 4, Step 1 of the state’s Reopening Massachusetts plan, effective Monday, March 22, 2021. The
City will allow additional activities, businesses and venues to resume or
expand operations in light of improved trends in COVID-19 cases and
vaccinations, as well as the state’s continued effort to expand eligibility
and access to the vaccine. Boston’s measured approach to reopening
aims to mitigate the pandemic’s economic impact while prioritizing public
health. The City of Boston will not advance beyond the reopening steps
outlined today until the citywide testing positivity rate stays below 2.75
percent, as calculated by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), for
two consecutive weeks.
“Since the beginning
of the pandemic, our response to COVID-19 has prioritized public health,
while recognizing the need to protect the economic wellbeing of our
businesses and residents,” said Mayor Walsh. “As our city reopens, we need
everyone to recommit themselves to following the public health guidance.
It’s incumbent on each of us to stay vigilant, even as we reopen more parts
of our economy. It’s thanks to everyone’s cooperation throughout the
pandemic that we’re able to open further.”
In Boston, all
private gatherings and events will remain subject to current capacity
limits of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Public gatherings in
Boston may increase to 60 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, lower
than the Commonwealth's limits of 100 and 150 people, respectively. In
alignment with the Commonwealth, the following industries in the City of
Boston may reopen or resume on Monday, March 22, subject to certain
capacity limits and safety measures:
·Indoor
performance venues, such as concert halls, theaters, and other seated
indoor performance spaces can open at 50 percent capacity, with a
500-person maximum capacity.
·Indoor
recreational activities with greater potential for contact, such as escape
rooms, laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, and obstacle courses can
open at 50 percent capacity.
·Approved
live entertainment may resume in restaurants, except singing. Brass and
woodwind instruments are discouraged.
·Indoor
and outdoor stadiums, arenas, ballparks or venues with capacity of 5,000 people
or more can host spectators at 12 percent capacity. These venues must
submit a COVID Response Plan to the City of Boston’s Licensing Board before
beginning to host events.
·Overnight
summer camps will be allowed to operate.
·Exhibition
and convention halls can reopen, subject to gathering limits and event
rules.
·Dance
floors will be permitted at weddings and other approved events only.
The following
activities and businesses will not be allowed to reopen until further
notice:
·Road
races, street festivals, parades and fairs
·Amusement
parks, theme parks, outdoor and indoor water parks
·Indoor
and outdoor ball pits
·Saunas,
hot tubs, and steam rooms at fitness centers, health clubs and other
facilities
·Beer
gardens, breweries, wineries, and distilleries
·Bars,
dance clubs and nightclubs, offering entertainment, beverages or dancing
without seated food service
As of March 11, the
City was averaging 152.6 COVID-19 positive cases per day, with a citywide
positivity rate of 3.5 percent. More detailed data related to COVID-19 in
Boston is available on BPHC’s website. As of March 10, 23.7 percent of
Boston residents 16 years-old or older have received at least one dose of
the COVID-19 vaccine and 13.3 percent are fully vaccinated.
For more information
about the City of Boston’s reopening plan, visit boston.gov/reopening. For more information about the
Massachusetts reopening guidelines, visit mass.gov/reopening.
