羅德島華人支援抗疫 20萬醫用口罩上路

左起，Central Falls市長 James A. Diossa ，羅德島華人協會主席
葉超，羅德島州副州長 Daniel J. McKee ，以及Cranston 市長
馮偉杰，都來幫忙搬運捐贈品。(羅德島華人抗疫委員會提供)

             (Boston Orange)羅德島州華人協會，國際領袖基金會紐英倫分會等10個組織攜手組成”羅州華人抗疫支援委員會”，已覓得醫用口罩貨源，並下單訂購了20萬個，貨款共需10萬元，該會已募得一半，現呼籲各界共襄盛舉，落實另一半貨款。

              羅德島州華人協會，羅德島華人基督教會，羅州大學中華文化俱樂部，敦煌文化服務中心，羅德島中國教授協會，星星中文學校，羅德島華人基督教會附屬中文學校，路加慈善基金會，國際領袖基金會紐英倫分會，羅德島華人抗疫捐贈群等這10個羅德島州華人社團，4月3日發出公告，呼籲各界支援，齊心協力對抗新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)。

              在公告中，羅州華人抗疫委員會指出，無論是四川大地震，華東大水災，或是席捲全球的新冠病毒，羅州華人都本著有難同當愛心，團結支援。這一次他們籌備數月，決議從加州一家進口供應商那兒，以每個0.5元價格，訂購20萬個醫用口罩，將全數捐給羅德島州政府，代為分發到醫院等機構，供第一線工作人員使用。

              羅德島州政府已審核通過，表示樂意接受這批口罩。

              截至4月2日止，抗疫委員會收到的捐款已超過5萬元，也就是20萬個口罩總價10萬元的一半多，因而已先行付清10萬個口罩貨款，預定4月6日將收到這批口罩。另外10萬個口罩，該會希望各界共襄盛舉，籲請熱心支持者以支票，或是paypal捐款。支票抬頭請寫RIACA，註明 COVID-19 Fund，寄到333 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02860。Paypal支付info@riaca.us。查詢可洽401-965-3666，或401-965-3152。

              根據維基百科，羅德島州正式名稱是羅德島及普域敦斯農園(State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations)，因此人口約僅106萬的羅德島州既是全美最小州，也是美國州名最長的州，雖然三面沿海，但在COVID-19衝擊全美之際，也未倖免於難。

迄今，羅德島全州已有711人確診，14人死亡。4月3日新增的確診病例就有54宗之多。

羅德島州長雷萌朵(Gina M. Raimondo)為遏制病毒擴散，4月3日也新頒佈多項措施，包括騰出羅德島會議中心，位於克蘭斯頓市(Cranston)的舊公民銀行大樓，以及Quonset的舊Lowe’s大樓，為安置1000張病床做準備；鼓勵民眾出門戴可以自製的布口罩；直到四月底暫停發放托兒所牌照；在羅德島基金內成立500萬元的COVID-19行為健康基金；鼓勵有症狀者安排檢測，勸諭人們群聚不要超過5人等等。
(4月6日新增抗疫委員會提供的照片)

麻州4月4日確診人數11,736 累計216人死亡 波士頓確診人數1618

              (Boston Orange 編譯)一天過去，4月4日的麻州新型冠狀病毒確診人數，又新增1334，累計11,736人，新增死亡人數24，累計216人。住院人數現有1,068，另有7,290人的狀況還在調查中。

今天共有5,838人做了檢測，全州609萬人已有累計68,800人做過新型冠狀病毒檢測。

              麻州公共衛生廳在網站上說明，政府網站上公佈的資料，是截至當日中午12點半的數據。Middlesex和Suffolk仍然是確診人數最多的兩個郡，累計人數依序已為2,468，2,429。

              麻州確診人數最少，仍然是個位數的地區是僅有7人的Dikes，僅有9人的Nantucket。

              新增的24名死亡者，絕大多數都是年已八、九十歲的耄耋老人，只有一名Hampden居民60多歲，一名Norfolk居民70多歲。

              住在長照機構院民的確診人數也大幅增長了26%，從昨日的382人曾至今(4)日的480人。

              根據各地方市鎮自行在官網公佈的數據，

              波士頓市確診人數累計1,618人，痊癒163人，死亡13人。

              劍橋市140人。

              昆士市，摩頓市，牛頓市今日無更新。

2020人口普查填報率已有42.8%

            (Boston Orange)美國聯邦人口統計局今(3)日公告，每10年一次，今年4月1日啟動的人口普查，上路2日，家庭填報率已達42.8%。

             截至2020年4月1日，美國人口總數約為308,745,538。填報人口普查表最踴躍的州是明尼蘇達州，該州的填報率為51.8%，其次為威斯康辛州，密西根州，愛荷華州，內布拉斯加州，維琴尼亞州，猶他州，堪薩斯州，伊利諾州，華盛頓州。

             麻州排名第19，填報率為44.3%。

             人口統計局將於4月15日美東時間的下午1點半，舉辦網上課程，教人如何使用人口統計局蒐集的數據，有意學習者可用手機撥打888-655-9181，密碼3659557。

麻州COVID-19確診人數破萬 達10402 累計192人死亡 波士頓1,366，昆士市142，劍橋130，牛頓127 摩頓市未更新

麻州州長查理貝克匯報疫情。(周菊子攝)

                     (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州的新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)確診人數，又創新高，累計破萬，已以10,402人，單日新增病例多達1436宗，死亡人數新增38，累計192人。

              疫情仍以Middlesex及Suffolk兩郡最嚴重，確診人數是其他地區的2倍以上，各有2000多人。年齡層以50到59歲最多，超過2000人。

                長照機構住民的確診人數也翻倍了，由197人增至382人。

             麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)因而宣佈將率先全美，推出”社區追蹤”項目，預定招募1000名接觸追蹤者(contact tracers)，和確診者接觸，確認他們的健康狀況，並追蹤確診者都接觸過那些人，以期那些人能自我隔離，或求診。

             波士頓環球報稱，塔芙茨醫療中心傳染病學家Shira Doron表示，三星期前開始這麼做，會很有用。

             查理貝克週五時表示，根據模型做的預測，麻州疫情會在4月10日至20日達到高峰，確診人數有可能會高達47,000到17萬多，現在開始做”社區追蹤”並不遲。

             麻州政府還未公佈各長照機構的個別情況。根據波士頓環球的報導，Berkshire醫療健保機構的Williamstown Commons護理及復健中心已有3人死於新型冠狀病毒，迄今共33名住民確診，另有10人檢測結果還沒出來。

             該機構在Danvers市經營的Hunt護理及復健機構，有1名住民死於新型冠狀病毒，20人確診，其餘55人已做檢測。

             位於Littleton的Nashoba Valley生命照顧中心至少已有17人確診，1人死亡，其餘80人已做檢測。在Mashoba Valley的這生命照顧中心裏，住著麻州最長壽州民，現年111歲的Hazel Plummer。她的83歲兒子是從她住在芝加哥的孫子那兒知道該機構有人確診新型冠狀病毒的事，趕過去探看，卻被派往該機構協助做檢測的國家衛隊擋在門外。他後來接到機構代表打來的電話，說他母親沒發燒，不覺得胸悶，已經做了病毒檢測，下星期才會有結果。

             麻州較多華人聚居城市的疫情如下:

             波士頓市確診人數1,366，已痊癒130，死亡人數10。

             昆士市確診人數142，新增10宗，已痊癒33，死亡人數和4月2日一樣，8人。

             摩頓市自3月31日後，迄無更新資料。

             劍橋市確診人數130，死亡1人。

             牛頓市確診人數127人。

Baker-Polito Administration Releases Income Tax Guidance and Announces Penalties Waived for Corporate Excise Returns and Payments

Baker-Polito Administration Releases Income Tax Guidance and Announces Penalties Waived for Corporate Excise Returns and Payments

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today released guidance regarding the extension of the 2019 state individual income tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to July 15 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and announced that the Department of Revenue (DOR) will waive any late-file and late-pay penalties for corporate excise returns and payments due April 15 that are filed and paid by July 15.

This guidance, publicized in the form of a Technical Information Release (TIR) from DOR, clarifies that the extension for personal income taxpayers applies to 2019 returns and payments as well as the first installment of estimated tax due April 15. The second installment of estimated tax due June 15 will also now be due July 15.

The extension of the personal income tax return deadline is being implemented pursuant to legislation and applies to personal income tax, estate and trust income tax, and income tax due with a partnership composite return with an April 15 due date. It also applies to an April 2020 tax installment owed by a personal income taxpayer with respect to deemed repatriated income. Taxpayers that have previously filed their 2019 returns but have not yet made the associated payments have until July 15 to make such payments.

Additionally, DOR will waive late-file and late-pay penalties for corporate excise (including financial institution and insurance premiums excise) returns and payments until July 15. The waiver of penalties applies to corporate excise returns and payments with an original due date of April 15, including those of certain S corporations and non-profits that file on a fiscal-year basis and have tax returns and payments due April 15.

This income tax relief is automatic, and taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms to qualify.

Individuals and companies with questions or concerns regarding taxes can contact the Massachusetts Department of Revenue at (617) 887-6367 or send a secure e-message through MassTaxConnect. 

For more information and to view the TIR please click here.

Boston Athletic Association Donates $100,000 to Boston Resiliency Fund and Contributes Medical Supplies, Food to Local Agencies

Boston Athletic Association Donates $100,000 to Boston Resiliency Fund and Contributes Medical Supplies, Food to Local Agencies

Hopkinton Select Board Liaison to the B.A.A. John 

Coutinho and Howard Kramer, B.A.A. Distribution 

Center Coordinator, load boxes into a truck to be 

delivered to St. Vincent’s Hospital.

(By : John Coutinho)

BOSTON (April 3, 2020) — The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced it will contribute $100,000 to the Boston Resiliency Fund, which provides essential services to Boston residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to donating race-related medical supplies and food to local agencies.

“The coronavirus crisis is affecting everyone in ways that we are only just beginning to understand,” said Tom Grilk, Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. “As a member of the Boston community, we wanted to help the people and organizations in need by making this donation to the Boston Resiliency Fund.”

The fund directs 100% of all donations to organizations providing essential services, including first responders and healthcare workers, and seeks to support the immediate needs of populations most affected by COVID-19.

John Coutinho with Hopkinton resident
 and St. Vincent Hospital C.E.O.
Carolyn Jackson on the St. Vincent
loading dock. (From John Coutinho)

“The Boston Resiliency Fund allows the City of Boston to continue to address the evolving, critical challenges associated with the coronavirus,” said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. “We’re grateful for the support of the Boston Athletic Association during this unprecedented time and we appreciate all of the donations we have received.”

John Hancock, the B.A.A.’s longtime principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, was one of the first organizations to contribute, gifting $1 million when the fund was launched on March 16.

Following the postponement of the 2020 Boston Marathon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the B.A.A. has worked with local agencies to respond to their pressing needs and donate race-related medical supplies. Items including medical and non-medical grade gloves, medical grade face shields, face masks, IV fluid bags, hand sanitizer, antiseptic, thermometer covers, nebulizer tubing sets, and ponchos were donated to local organizations. The majority of the supplies have been donated to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) through the COVID-19 Donation Program. Supplies have also been donated to Boston Emergency Medical Services, Massachusetts State Police, and St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass.

“We quickly shifted our focus to determine ways we could positively impact and help people within our community," Grilk said. “I’m tremendously proud of B.A.A. staff for not only managing the myriad of logistics that come with postponing the Boston Marathon, but simultaneously collaborating with our city and state partners to help those in need.”

In addition, the B.A.A. donated nearly 30,000 bags of Terra Chips, provided by JetBlue Airways for finishers of the Boston Marathon, to the Greater Boston Food Bank. 

波士頓市長宣佈成立300萬元"租金救濟金" 居民最高可得4000元援助

(Boston Orange編譯)波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)4月2日宣佈撥款300萬元，成立”租金救濟金(Rental Relief Fund)”，為收入符合條件規定，受新型冠狀病毒影響，面臨失去所租住房屋危險的市民，提供最高4000元援助。

馬丁華殊表示，在COVID-19大流行之際，各級政府用各種方法來幫助民眾度過難關是很重要的事。波士頓市希望這筆經費，可以為面對繳租困難的居民，提供立即、迅速的幫助。

根據都會區計畫會(MAOC)為波士頓市做的估計，在截至3月21日的第一波申請失業救濟的人中，約有10,900租屋居住者是波士頓市居民。如今全美失業人數翻倍，已660萬，交租有困難的波士頓居民想必更多。

新成立的波士頓市”租金救濟金”將由市府鄰里發展局(DND)的住宅穩定辦公室和兩個非牟利夥伴，都會住宅/波士頓和可負擔住宅鄰里(NOAH)合作管理，為收入符合條件的波士頓居民，提供最高4000元的財務援助，用於支付租金。

申請者必須為不符合聯邦政府展延失業救濟新訂條款者，或是因為期工作本質，可能收到的失業福利會比他們的實際收入少很多。

這筆基金僅供家庭收入在區域中位收入(AMI)80%，也就是2人家庭年收入72,000元以下者申請。這筆基金有很大一部分將保留給收入極少(單身家庭，年收入低於25,000元者)，以及收入非常低，或單身家庭年收入少於42,000元(區域中位收入的50%)者。

            申請者最終收到的援助金額，將把其他收入來源，在CARES法通過後，失業福利可能增加，聯邦政府將發放給收入符合條件居民的一次性補助等等因素全都考慮進去。

以下為波士頓市府新聞稿

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES $3 MILLION FUND TO HELP BOSTONIANS PAY THEIR RENT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Recipients will have to demonstrate financial need, such as loss of income

BOSTON - Friday, April 3, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh yesterday announced that his Administration is dedicating $3 million in city funds to assist Bostonians who are at risk of losing their rental housing due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will help income-eligible tenants in the City of Boston achieve housing stability by providing direct financial relief to assist with rental payments. Applications to the Rental Relief Fund will be available on Monday, April 6th. 

"In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a national crisis at a scale not seen in our lifetime, it is imperative that all levels of government exercise all possible tools to ensure the health and safety of our residents, and to keep them stably housed," said Mayor Walsh. "As a key piece of legislation makes its way through the State House, it is our hope that this funding will offer immediate financial relief to renters in Boston who otherwise would be unable to make their rent payment. We understand that this resource is critical to have in place not only for economic reasons, but also to protect the public health." 

With the statewide stay-at-home advisory extended through May 4th, the City of Boston recognizes the financial strain put on renters who have reduced or no employment income. According to estimates generated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) on behalf of the City of Boston, there were 10,900 renter households in the "first wave" of unemployment applications filed by Bostonians in the week ending March 21st. With today's announcement that national unemployment filings doubled from 3.3 million to 6.6 million, the number of households in Boston experiencing difficulty in paying their rent is expected to rise. 

"This program announced by the City today will go a long way to help residents who are struggling and at risk of losing their homes because of the current health crisis," said Chris Norris, Executive Director for Metro Housing Boston. "Our friends and neighbors who already faced challenges with obtaining and maintaining housing now have even more barriers. These funds will make a difference for families with the greatest need - those with very low incomes and extremely low incomes.  Metro Housing|Boston is pleased to partner with Mayor Walsh and his team as they launch this lifeline to the residents of Boston because everyone deserves a place to call home."

The newly established fund, which is being managed by the Office of Housing Stability at the Department of Neighborhood Development with two nonprofit partners, Metro Housing|Boston and Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), will provide income-eligible Bostonians with up to $4,000 in financial assistance to be used for rent. To qualify for this financial assistance, residents must either not be eligible for the new extended unemployment benefits offered by the federal government, or because of the nature of their job, the unemployment benefits that they will receive represent a significant reduction in their actual income. The funding will only be available to households earning less than 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), which is $72,000 for a two-person household.  A significant portion of these funds are reserved for households with extremely low incomes (under $25,000 for a single-person household), and very low-incomes or less than $42,000 for a single person (50 percent AMI).

"The need for rent relief as soon as possible for Bostonians, especially low-income families and women heads of household, is enormous," said Philip Giffee, Executive Director of Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc./NOAH. "Far too many individuals and families have lost jobs - either temporarily or permanently - and are no longer able to make ends meet. These families are in immediate need of some form of assistance to keep them in their apartments. NOAH applauds the Mayor and the City for stepping up and providing some relief to help these desperate families."

The ultimate amount of assistance renters can receive will be determined after taking into account other sources of income, including the expected expansion of unemployment benefits under new federal rules established by the CARES Act, and one-time payments being issued to income-eligible residents from the federal government. The City will monitor usage of the funds closely and anticipates devoting additional resources to this effort from federal CARES Act or other City revenue sources in the coming weeks.

"In this unprecedented public health crisis, we're thrilled to see the City lead in helping to alleviate the economic crisis that many Boston families are facing," said Mac McCreight, Lead Attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services Housing Unit. "We look forward to collaborating with housing providers and other helping agencies in getting assistance quickly to those who need it."

Over the last several week, the City of Boston has taken swift action to protect our most vulnerable residents from losing their homes, including: 

• The Boston Housing Authority stopped pursuing all non-essential evictions;
• The Boston Housing Authority and the Boston Public Schools (BPS) are creating a new partnership to house up to 1,000 families with BPS students at risk of displacement and experiencing homelessness over the next year;
• Formed a partnership with the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations to urge a citywide moratorium on eviction proceedings;
• Asked the Boston Housing Court to stay all non-emergency eviction proceedings, which the Supreme Judicial Court has instituted throughout the statewide housing court system until April 21;
• Supporting legislation that provides  residential and commercial tenants and homeowners with protections against evictions and foreclosures during and for a period of time after the State of Emergency is lifted.

In 2016, Mayor Walsh created the City of Boston's Office of Housing Stability, the first of its kind in the nation, that is designed to keep communities intact by helping tenants maintain their housing. The Office's work includes supporting tenants who are in crisis; creating and offering resources, programs, and information for both tenants and landlords to learn about their rights and responsibilities; and researching and creating policies that aim to prevent displacement. The Office also oversees the  Metrolist web site, a clearinghouse for income-restricted housing opportunities in Boston and neighboring communities. 

Resources and information about COVID-19 are available on boston.gov/coronavirus. Resources available on boston.gov and through City departments include support for renters and homeowners; small businesses; free meals for Boston students; free toiletries for Boston students; emergency childcare centers; support for older residents; information on homeless shelters; transportation options for healthcare workers; resources for those in recovery or those who have a substance use disorder; and mental health resources

麻州將推出"社區追蹤協做" 派千人進社區追蹤確診者接觸了誰

麻州州長查理貝克宣佈推出"社區追蹤協定:。(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange編譯) 麻州新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)疫情今(3)日再創新高，不但確診病例破萬達10,402人，死亡人數更陡增38，累計192。麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)宣佈，月底推出全美首個社區追蹤協作項目(CTC)，派遣千人追蹤確診者接觸過的人，勸諭檢測，隔離。

查理貝克表示，要抑制病毒擴散，檢測，追蹤，隔離，治療都很重要，麻州公共衛生廳將在現有抗疫基礎上，採取進一步措施，推出全美第一個追蹤項目，和”健康夥伴(Partner In Health)”合作，成立社區追蹤協作(Community Tracing Collaborative ，簡稱CTC)，派遣千人深入社區，分頭追蹤確診者接觸過的人。

麻州疫情匯報現場。(周菊子攝)

昨日，查理貝克在疫情匯報中才表示，用中國武漢模型來評估麻州的疫情發展， 4月10日至20日會是麻州高峰期，州政府正多方聯繫，安排增加病床，檢測站。今日，查理貝克指出，他和副州長等人昨晚進一步根據模型討論，估計會有47,000到17萬名麻州人在這場疫情中感染病毒，他們必須盡快做好相應準備，並盡可能板平可能出現的疫情高峰曲線。

麻州20個實驗室，迄今已做了56,000宗病毒檢測，昨日在一天之內，就檢測了5000宗，已連續多天超過州政府早前所訂每天檢測3500宗目標。查理貝克表示這很讓人高興，不過麻州仍需加強檢測量，增加檢測站，包括新的駕車經過檢測站，專供第一線醫護人員，警察等使用的檢測站。

查理貝克坦言，昨日在羅根機場有點激動，實在是因為這些日子以來，他們和數以打計直接面對感染病毒患者的醫護人員談過，知道他們不計個人生命危險的盡責救人之際，最糾結的其實是他們很怕讓家人，親友受害，那種壓力他能感同身受，也因此在州政府歷經訂單被搶的挫折後，終於能夠把口罩拿到麻州，讓那麼多人鬆一口氣，他難免有些激動。

查理貝克昨日，今日都不願多談，麻州政府成功把N95口罩買進波士頓的細節，但坦言會試著向同一來源繼續採買。

州政府一名發言人表示，昨日運到羅根機場的口罩，有30萬個是要運到紐約去的。麻州政府拿到120萬個，價格為每個4到5美元。

麻州長辦公室今日公佈的”社區追蹤協作”細節包括，項目重心將放在追蹤確診者接觸過的人，支援在隔離中的人，並在指揮中心現有基礎下，啟用公衛學院學生來加強地方市鎮公共衛生局已經在做的追蹤確診者接觸過的人。

”社區追蹤協作”將在州政府COVID-19疫情指揮中心領導下，由”健康夥伴(Partner In Health)”和麻州公共衛生廳合作，執行社區追蹤，麻州醫療保險聯繫者(The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority ，簡稱CCA)將設立虛擬支援中心，維持聯繫，麻州公共衛生廳將保存，維護數據庫，指導執行流程，Accenture這全球的客戶關係管理(CRM)頂尖公司將提供技術及硬體支援。(視頻來自麻州州長辦公室直播)

Baker-Polito Administration Announces COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative to Further Mitigate the Spread of Virus

Collaborative will deploy nearly 1,000 individuals to trace contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases

BOSTON – Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced the creation of the COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. This initiative is a collaboration between the administration and Partners In Health, and is the first of its kind in the nation. The initiative will focus on tracing the contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients, and supporting individuals in quarantine, and builds on the efforts already underway from the Command Center to leverage public health college students to augment the contact tracing being done by local boards of health.

Led by the administration’s COVID-19 Response Command Center, Partners In Health will coordinate closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Contact tracing will be combined with the state’s efforts to increase testing and will provide support to people in quarantine in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Enhanced contact tracing capability is another powerful tool for public health officials and health care providers in the battle against COVID-19,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Massachusetts is the only state in the nation implementing this type of programming, and this collaborative tracing initiative will break new ground as we work together to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Partners In Health will provide staff and contribute technical expertise in community tracing. The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (CCA) will stand up a virtual support center and maintain connectivity, while the Massachusetts Department of Health (DPH) will maintain data, guides and processes. Accenture, a leading global professional services company, and Salesforce, a global leader in CRM, are implementing support center capabilities for the CTC’s tracing purposes.

“This is a key effort in the Commonwealth’s work to slow the spread of the virus by adding capacity to reach individuals who have come in close contact with individuals are confirmed positive for COVID-19,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “I encourage residents to cooperate with the operation so that we can further slow the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.”

The Collaborative will deploy nearly 1,000 contact tracers throughout the state to connect with COVID-19 patients and their contacts to support Massachusetts’ efforts to track and contain the virus.

Contact tracing through the CTC will support the Baker-Polito Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand bed capacity, increase personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies and provide resources for health care providers and patients. 

For more information on COVID-19, visit Mass.gov/covid19. Get notifications to your phone or mobile device by texting COVIDMA to 888-777.

麻州從中國採買逾百萬個N95口罩 新英格蘭愛國者隊專機載回來

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)親赴機場，迎接N95口罩。
(麻州州長辦公室提供)

(Boston Orange周菊子綜合編譯)4月2日傍晚6點多，很多人很激動。麻州等待已久，醫護人員迫切急需的N95口罩，有大約100萬個，搭乘新英格蘭愛國者隊(New England Patriots)專機，從中國飛抵羅根(Logan)機場。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)和新英格蘭愛國者隊東主Robert Kraft，董事長Jonathan Kraft，以及警察，國家衛隊，媒體等近百人，一起趕到Delta航空公司機庫迎接。

120萬個N95口罩從新英格蘭愛國者隊專機上卸下來。
(麻州州長辦公室提供)

查理貝克在致詞時有點激動。他向Jonatan Kraft說，”對你和你父親，以及你們家回應呼籲，成就此事，我們的感激，言之不盡”。

他說，對那許許多多在第一線對抗COVID-19疫情的工作人員來說，這些東西將造成巨大變化。不過，麻州需要更多這些醫護用品，麻州政府一定會積極的找更多醫護設備。

2日下午，查理貝克才在每日疫情匯報中表示，4月10日到4月20日可能是染患COVID-19病毒者住院的高峰期。在機場時他說，這批醫護用品真是在最關鍵時刻趕到。

查理貝克在幾乎每日召開的疫情匯報中曾經壓抑的以不滿語氣透露，麻州採購醫護用品時，竟然在聯邦政府抬價下，訂單被搶走了。而且這情況還不止發生一次。

查理貝克4月2日告訴波士頓環球報，導致麻州政府促請新英格蘭愛國者隊來運送口罩，始自於麻州政府當初和BJ’s批發俱樂部協商採買300萬個口罩，結果這批貨運抵紐約和新澤西港口時，卻被聯邦政府在3月18日扣押了。

他不得不開始打電話，找每一個他認識，可能有資源的人。美國，歐洲，亞洲，他全都找，後來有人告訴他可以想辦法向中國供應商大批採買，問題是怎麼運，於是他想到了擁有私人飛機的新英格蘭愛國者隊。結果Kraft家族不但同意提供飛機，還額外斥資200萬元購買醫護設備。Kraft家族也另外採買了30萬個口罩，3日早上運抵紐約。

波士頓環球報透露，促成此事發生的還有中國駐紐約總領事館總領事黃屏，以及3名州長。CNN報導稱，麻州州長查理貝克給出一份聲明，感謝Kraft家族，黃屏總領事，李建生博士，以及Gene Hartigan。麻州政府將在病毒大流行期間，繼續為第一線工作人員採買個人防護用品。

當晚在場的麻州總醫院(MGH)護理主任Melisa Joceyln感謝Kraft家族基金，愛國者隊，以及MGH的所有工作人員，還有許許多多一起合作，使得N95口罩出現的人。