WAREHAM PAVING COMPANY CITED OVER $1 MILLION FOR NOT PAYING WORKERS AND FAILING TO KEEP PAYROLL RECORDS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS

 WAREHAM PAVING COMPANY CITED OVER $1 MILLION FOR NOT PAYING WORKERS AND FAILING TO KEEP PAYROLL RECORDS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS

AG’s Office Seeks Restitution For 22 Employees

 

            BOSTON – A Wareham Company and its owners have been cited more than $1.2 million in restitution and penalties over allegations that they did not pay prevailing wages to employees and failed to furnish accurate payroll records, Attorney General Maura Healey announced.

 

            Rochester Bituminous Products, Inc., its President, Thomas Russo, Manager, Albert Todesca, and Treasurer, Michael P. Todesca, were issued 25 citations by the AG’s Office for failing to pay prevailing wages to employees on various public projects including projects for the City of Boston, Town of Mattapoisett, and the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, failure to furnish true and accurate payroll records to the AG’s Office, and failure to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to an awarding authority on a weekly basis for work performed. Through the citations, the AG’s Office is seeking penalties from Rochester Bituminous for its violations of state labor laws, and restitution for 22 employees it allegedly harmed.

 

“Companies have an obligation to pay their workers the wages they’ve earned,” said AG Healey. “We are citing this company to secure relief for the workers who have been harmed.”

 

            In 2019, the AG’s Fair Labor Division began investigating whether Rochester Bituminous was paying its workers the proper prevailing wage for paving work done for the City of Boston. The division also received several complaints from past and present workers of the company, alleging that they had not been paid prevailing wages for work performed.

 

            As part of its investigation, the AG’s Office issued payroll demands to Rochester Bituminous, requesting the company produce certified payroll and timekeeping records. A request was also made to turn over certified payroll records, submitted by Rochester Bituminous to several awarding authorities such as the City of Boston, Town of Mattapoisett, and the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, all of whom Rochester Bituminous performed work for. On numerous occasions, Rochester Bituminous failed to furnish the records requested by the AG’s Office, or produced records that had missing documents, were incomplete or contained errors or omissions.

 

Massachusetts labor laws require contractors and subcontractors working on public works construction projects to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to the awarding authority on a weekly basis, and these records must contain the employees’ identities, hourly rates of pay, job classification for work performed, and information about the wages paid. Employers must also furnish those records to the AG’s Office upon demand. Failure to submit such records, or submitting records that lack this information, is considered a violation of state law.

 

            Despite the missing documentation, investigators were able to determine that 22 workers were underpaid by approximately $30 per hour for work performed on public works projects and were owed restitution. Under state laws, employers that engage in public projects must pay their employees prevailing wages which is a special minimum wage rate.

 

            Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the AG’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or go to www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages. 

 

            This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Amy Goyer and Supervising Investigator Greg Reutlinger, both of the AG’s Fair Labor Division

Governor Baker Nominates State Representative Shelia C. Harrington as Clerk Magistrate of the District Court

 Governor Baker Nominates State Representative Shelia C. Harrington as Clerk Magistrate of the District Court 

 

 

BOSTON — Today, Governor Charlie Baker nominated State Representative Shelia C. Harrington as Clerk Magistrate of the Gardner District Court. Representative Harrington has 35 years of legal experience.

 

“The many years of legal experience and time in public service that Rep. Harrington will bring to the District Court make her a well-qualified candidate,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I look forward to the Governor’s Council’s consideration of her nomination for this appointment.”

 

“I am pleased with the nomination of this distinguished attorney,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “If confirmed, I am confident that Rep. Harrington’s skills and knowledge will allow her to continue to serve the public effectively in this new position.”

 

The District Court hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties; all misdemeanors; and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the Commonwealth.  

 

For more information about the District Court, visit their homepage.

 

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth's diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015.

 

About State Representative Shelia C. Harrington

State Representative Shelia C. Harrington began her law career in 1985 when she joined the law firm of Sullivan, Limone, Clark and Waystack as a law clerk and associate. From 1987 to 1991 she worked in various roles at Traveler’s Insurance Companies, after which she left to become an associate at Robert F. Casey Jr, P.C. Rep. Harrington then joined the Law Offices of George F. Watts in 1992 as an associate. After stints as a partner at Casey & Harrington and Alter & Harrington from 1995 to 2000, she established the Law Office of Shelia C. Harrington in 2000, where she currently practices. Rep. Harrington currently serves as State Representative for the 1^st Middlesex District, a position she was first elected to in 2011. Outside of the law, Rep. Harrington has been involved in both the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts for many years, as well as supporting Operation Patriot Pride, a charity helping service men and women stay connected with their families while on deployment. She also is a supporter of Toys for Tots. Rep. Harrington received her Bachelor’s degree from Providence College in 1982, and her Juris doctorate from New England School of Law in 1985.

過去2年麻州多發了27億元失業福利金給72萬人

             (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州政府在2020年到2021年間，多付了27億元給將近72萬名失業福利申請人，現在著手要回來，讓這些在新冠病毒疫情間曾經，或甚至直至現在都還失業中的人都傻了眼。

             目前已有至少3萬9000人申請豁免還款。

             WGBH一名電台節目主持人今早說，當年發生次貸危機時，美國政府可以寬宏大量，讓那些大銀行以壞帳形式，報銷了那些虧損，或許麻州政府也可以考慮，當作買經驗一樣，一筆勾銷因為自己經辦業務失誤，給那些失業福利申請人所帶來的困擾。

             這一問題的關鍵在於，幾乎所有這些申請者，都是按正常手續申請。州政府批准，他們收到錢，就理所當然的該怎麼用就怎麼用了，不涉詐欺。

             在新冠病毒疫情初期，一下子有將近70萬人失去工作，麻州政府的失業福利部門收到的失業救濟金申請案堆積如山。不過失業援助處為盡可能快速的協助民眾，支票發得很急促。最後在2020到2021年間，共發出330億元的聯邦及麻州失業福利金給400多萬人。        

             根據為麻州西部提供免費法律援助的社區法律援助律師Rory MacAneney交給美國勞工部的報表，麻州失業援助處 (UDA)發現，多發出去27億元，給了那些根本沒資格領失業福利的人。

             麻州失業福利局稱在2020年3月到2021年9月之間，多付了錢給71萬9000份失業福利申請，還沒完全解決的申請案多達38萬3000宗。

             一名被催還款的打工者說，因為他後來有收入，失業福利局認為他沒有資格領取失業福利金，現在他得每個月付200元的連付5年，才能把麻州失業福利局向他要的1萬多元還清。他抱怨到，他和妻子2人的收入，捉襟見肘，連找多餘的錢來孩子去看場電影都很難，遑論為將來買房子存錢，現在又得多挪200元來還錢，更是雪上加霜。

             上個月，監管麻州失業福利局的州政府勞工及人力發展辦公廳廳長Rosalin Acosta在公聽會中為州政府向超額收到失業福利金者追討超額給付款項的行動辯護。

             根據社區法律援助的MacAneney說，病毒大流行失業援助(PUA)的超額給付，麻州排名第四，僅次於俄亥俄州，馬里蘭州和德州。

             Hull區的麻州眾議員Joan Meschino在前述公聽會後遞出法案，要求澄清並擴大標準，允許那些未涉詐欺人們申請免還超額給付。

紓困第二輪 波士頓市將撥款500萬元補助300小商家

Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion (Right) and Boston  Mayor Michelle Wu (left) announcing the second round of small business relief fund. (Photo by Chutze Chou) (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 新冠病毒疫情延燒，小企業困窘掙扎。波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 今 (18) 日宣佈，將注資500萬元進小企業紓困基金2.0，幫助300家本地企業邁向復甦。 波士頓市經濟機會及包容長Segun Idowu說明，波士頓市府再撥款補助外，還將和企業服務組織合作，為小企業提供技術援助及長期計畫的支持。波士頓市府也將和州政府合作，以確保小企業也不會錯失州政府提供的各種援助。 待波士頓市議會通過此案後，估計2月初可發出申請表格。 小企業紓困基金是為幫助企業取得復甦，持續經營所需的費用開銷。2.0版本是重啟2020年4月及9月的紓困基金模式。波士頓市府的小企業紓困基金已發出750萬元給519家小企業。如果從2020年4月開始計算，波士頓市府總共發出2860萬元補助款給5600家企業。 小企業可以申請的補助有2種，一為紓困補助，小企業可申請最高1萬元，用於償還欠債，繳付租金或貸款，購置庫存，發薪水，以及其他的固定開支。另一為成長補助，也是最高1萬元，供做購置工具，科技，物品，人事，以及其他投資近企業成長所需開銷的費用。 估計2月初時，小企業將可上網填寫申請表，所有申請者都必須經由市政府的門戶網站(Knack potal) bostonopendata.knack.com/small-business-grants辦理。查詢詳情可上網https://www.boston.gov/small-business。 MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES CITY OF BOSTON WILL REPLENISH SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF FUND 2.0 WITH $5 MILLION

 

BOSTON - Tuesday, January 18, 2022 - Building on her commitment to supporting small businesses during the ongoing pandemic, Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that the City of Boston will replenish the Small Business Relief Fund 2.0 with $5 million. These funds will help support an additional 300 local, small businesses across Boston as they continue their recovery. The City is also partnering with business service organizations to provide technical assistance and long-term planning support to small businesses beyond the grant. Following City Council approval, applications would become available in early February. “Our small businesses are still struggling from this prolonged pandemic and need continued support. I’m grateful to Chief Idowu and our state and community partners for working quickly to identify potential resources for neighborhood small businesses as we work to build a thriving, inclusive and equitable economy,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The fund’s grants and technical assistance will help small business owners continue to serve their communities and plan ahead as we work to end the ongoing COVID surge.” “These funds provided the much needed support for our small businesses to not only aid in their recovery, but invest in their long-term growth,” said Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. “Replenishing these funds is an important step in ensuring that our businesses are able to keep their doors open as we recover from the pandemic and rebuild our economy.”  The Small Business Relief Fund is designed to help businesses cover expenses to help their recovery and assist businesses that seek to grow beyond the pandemic. The replenishment of SBRF 2.0 will reopen applications for the Small Business Relief Fund initially launched in April 2020 and relaunched in September 2021. To date, the Small Business Relief Fund has issued more than $7.5 million in grants to 519 businesses. Since April 2020, the City of Boston has issued more than $28.6 million in grants to more than 5,600 businesses.  Businesses will be able to apply for two types of grants. ·       Relief Grant: up to $10,000 to support outstanding debts for rent/mortgage payments, inventory, payroll, or fixed expenses. ·       Growth Grant: up to $10,000 to support business growth through tools, technology, materials, personnel, or other costs associated with investing in the growth of their business. “I would like to thank Mayor Michelle Wu and the entire City of Boston Small Business Team for their commitment to support businesses such as mine over the last two years,” said Chef Olrie Roberts, owner of ZaZ Restaurant. “Unfortunately, COVID is still plaguing our community and the effects of the pandemic are still taking a toll on restaurants. As ZaZ looks toward celebrating 10 years of serving the Hyde Park and Greater Boston communities this year, continued financial support will help to alleviate operational pressures such as rent, utilities, and supply costs that can not be controlled with fluctuating dine-in customers and canceled catering events until we have some semblance of normalcy.”  “We are grateful to the City of Boston for providing grant support to small businesses like ours that will help us stay open while we face the COVID-19 Omicron wave,” said Hector Plaza, Owner and Head Coach at Red City Fitness. “It will also allow us to invest in a stronger marketing strategy that will help our business grow.”  The City of Boston is working with State officials to coordinate our grant processes so small businesses potentially have access to both local and state grant funds. Additionally, the City is working with external partners like Small Business Strong and other business service organizations to set up a system that will connect interested small businesses with wrap-around technical assistance to provide long term support beyond the grant. “Collaborating with the State and pairing the grants with technical assistance will leverage greater impact for businesses that need support, and strengthen Boston’s small business ecosystem,” said Karen Kelleher, Executive Director of LISC Boston, which serves as program manager for Small Business Strong.  “Small Business Strong is excited to work with Mayor Wu and her team to connect applicants for funding with high quality small business support from local providers and industry experts,” said Yvonne Garcia, Manager of Small Business Strong and Chief of Staff to Chairman and CEO and Global Head of Internal Communications, State Street.  Applications will become available online at boston.gov/small-business in early February. Businesses can apply for one or both grants. All applicants must apply through the City’s Knack portal at bostonopendata.knack.com/small-business-grants. For more information and details, sign up for our small business newsletter at https://www.boston.gov/small-business.

波士頓僑教中心、紐英崙中華公所 1/22、23 迎春揮毫

            (Boston Orange) 紐英崙中華公所、紐英崙藝術學會、中華書法會、駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處及波士頓華僑文教服務中心攜手，將於1月22，23兩日，分兩地舉辦「全僑喜迎春、四海慶豐年」迎春聯合揮毫活動。

為慶祝中華民國111年春節舉辦的這迎春聯合揮毫活動，主辦機構已邀請波士頓地區著名書法家屆時即席揮毫，出席民眾都有機會免費拿到書法家們寫的賀歲春聯。

聯合揮毫活動共有2場，時間及地點分別為：（1）波士頓華僑文教服務中心， 1月22日（星期六）上午10時至下午2時， 90 Lincoln St. Newton Highlands, MA 02461 Tel: 617-965-8801（2）紐英崙中華公所，1月23日（星期日）下午1時至下午4時 。90 Tyler St. Boston , MA 02111 Tel: 617-542-2574。

波士頓僑教中心強調，歡迎各位僑胞鄉親參加。

波士頓僑教中心及紐英崙中華公所將比照波士頓市政府更新的新冠病毒(COVID-19)疫情期間規定，從 2022 年 1 月 15 日起，踏進這兩個場所的民眾，都需: 一、配戴口罩；二、個人:請出示新冠肺炎（ COVID-19）疫苗接種證明，團體:租用中心場地僑團負責人請提供「注射新冠肺炎疫苗」聲明(中心提供)。

避免民眾受寒 波士頓市今日新增大型新冠病毒檢測站

波士頓市長吳弭展示市府印製了多語傳單。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 1月18日宣佈，為使想要做檢測的民眾不必在寒風中排隊，18日新增一個大型檢測站，在市府擁有的Bruce Bolling大樓一樓，每日可為至少1000人做檢測。

             波士頓市公共衛生局 (BPHC)將共設立3個獨立運作的大型檢測站，另外2個將設在多徹斯特 (Dorchester)和麥特潘 (Mattapan)。

             波士頓市目前在牙買加平原 (Jamaica Plain)的Anna M. Cole社區中心，以及奧斯頓 (Allston)的West End House，已經設有人們可隨時走進去的免費檢測站。

左起，波士頓市的經濟機會及包容長Segun Idowu，公共衛生局主任Bisola Ojikutu博士，
市長吳弭  ( Michelle Wu)和CIC 健康的行銷長Rodrigo Martinez 在Bruce Bolling 大樓說明
新檢測站相關事宜。(周菊子攝)

             這個新增的檢測站，將在週二至週六的每天中午12點至晚上8點開門，可在同一時間為20人做檢測，並容許50人在市內等待。為避免人們大排長龍，在寒風中等待，在已有50人等候之後才抵達的民眾，將拿到一張卡片，註明可以在什麼時候回現場完成檢測，這些人就不必在寒風中等待了。

             波士頓市府希望每個人需要等待的時間不超過30分鐘，在20個人自己使用鼻拭子做檢測，5個人辦理登記時，Bruce Bolling 大樓還可容許50個人在室內等候。

Bruce Bolling大樓門外放著告示牌，歡迎人們進入，免費做新冠病毒檢測。(周菊子攝)

             總部設在劍橋市的CIC Health將承辦在Bruce Bolling 大樓辦理的檢測服務。檢測結果預定可在24小時內出來。

             波士頓公共衛生局主任Bisola Ojikutu博士審慎樂觀的表示，新冠病毒確診數近日不斷增加，成人住院率和2週前相比，也增加了35%，兒童住院率也增加了56%，

             波士頓市長吳弭18日早上在新增檢測站現場，還報告了波士頓市府工作人員現有17,861完全符合市府的完整接種疫苗規定，比上星期多了1000多人。各種數據都顯示，目前接種疫苗仍然是最有效的防疫措施。市政府要求所有員工遵守接種疫苗的規定，已於上週六到期，市府正在檢視員工們遞交的相關資料，並開始通知個別員工，1月24日起將勒令還未遵循市府規定者放行政假 (Administrative   leave) 。

             吳弭特地說明，波士頓市政府已準備了多語傳單，以期更多人知道，並使用這大型免費檢測站。為協助小企業，他們將要求市議會為小企業紓困基金注資500萬元，預期2月初能開放申請，可幫助300家小企業度過難關。

麻州州長查理貝克宣佈下週起每週為中小學師生提供新冠病毒居家檢測

麻州州長Charlie Baker說明中小學增加新冠病毒檢測選擇。

(Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州州長查理貝克 (Charlie Baker)今 (18) 日一早和麻州教育廳廳長James Peyser，以及麻州中小學教育局局長Jeffrey Riley聯袂宣佈，下週起，將每週分發新冠病毒快速居家抗體檢測給州內的中小學師生。

查理貝克說，各學校可在現行的”檢測並留校 (Test and Stay)”辦法之外，自行決定是否參加這快速檢測計畫。

參加”檢測並留校”，以及症狀及/或者群檢測 (Pool testing)的學校，將可停止做接觸追蹤，以及”檢測並留校”的作法。那將容許學校把時間和資源集中用於辨認有症狀的個人。

他還說麻州已設有915個檢測門診為170個社區的民眾服務。分發居家檢測劑則是麻州政府中小學教育廳 (DESE)，公共衛生廳 (DPH)在現有的檢測辦法之外，為中小學師生增加的一項選擇。

麻州中小學教育局局長Jeffrey C. Riley (右)。

新英格蘭各州中的康州 (CT)、佛蒙特州 (VT)最近都從個人的接觸追蹤，轉為居家檢測，並把學校內的保護師生健康做法，集中在有症狀者的檢測。

辦理「居家檢測」辦法的這些檢測劑將來自麻州政府上週宣佈，從iHealth訂購來的2600萬劑居家快速抗體檢測。

Jeffrey Riley稱許這新的居家檢測計畫。他說這新的居家檢測計畫確實可讓情況幡變，容許護士們把更多時間花在辨識有症狀者，以及校內的其他新冠病毒疫情管理工作。

麻州中小學教育委員會今日也發出通知，本週開始，學校可以登記收取每週給教職員及學生使用的居家快速抗體檢測，預定1月24日就可以收到。學校也會在1月31日的那星期，代家長選擇參加這辦法的學生收取這些檢測劑。

該通知稱，居家檢測劑將直接交給學區，一個包裹內有2套檢測劑。參加這辦法的學生及教職員，每2週會收到一個包裹。家長需通知學校是否希望快速居家檢測劑由學生帶回家。

如果有人在家檢測陽性，就應該通知學校。然後由學校把檢測陽性的個案報告給州政府知道，並成為州政府現行的每週新冠病毒報告系統的一部分。

越來越多的醫療及教育專家認為，控制高度傳染性病毒需要很多資源，但大多數感染了的學童症狀輕微，學校應該轉變做法。不過也有科學家、教師工會及學生家長辯稱，在確診個案陡增之際，州政府應該加倍努力來控制高傳染性的病毒，以保護包括低收入社區的高危人群。他們也指出，沒人知道感染新冠病毒的長期影響。

牛頓公校系統在本月初就表示，自從具有高傳染性的新冠病毒奧米克戎 (Omocron)變種出現以來，由於學生教職員確診人數陡增，超過1000人，校方已無力繼續做接觸追蹤。

由於麻州的”檢測並留校”辦法，容許那些已完整接種疫苗的學生、教職員豁免檢測，但是已接種疫苗者後來確診的消息頻傳，許多家長因此質疑”檢測並留校”辦法的有用程度。

不過州政府人員稱數據顯示該辦法讓學校很安全，那些和確診者有接觸的有症狀者，在不斷重複的檢測中，90%都呈陰性。截至1月9日，在已執行的503,312次”檢測並留校”檢測中，有496,440人呈陰性。

            麻州政府表示，自從新冠病毒爆發後的2021年以來，因為關鍵工作人員短缺，許多人精疲力竭而辭職，麻州已失去700張醫療、手術及重症病床。

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Weekly At-Home Tests Available for Students and Staff Enrolled in State’s Testing Programs

Schools Will Have Increased Testing Resources and Flexibility to Effectively Respond to COVID-19 and Maintain In-Person Learning

BOSTON — The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) announced today updated school COVID-19 testing options, including providing participating teachers and staff with at-home rapid tests weekly, to optimize in-person learning. The two departments also released updated data on the pooled testing and Test and Stay programs, showing very few positive cases and low transmission rates.

At-Home Test Option
Beginning this week, schools will be able to sign up to receive at-home rapid antigen tests for weekly use by all participating staff and students. Schools exercising this option will discontinue contact tracing and Test and Stay. This will enable school health staff to spend more time and resources identifying symptomatic individuals and focusing on other aspects of COVID-19 management. Schools must continue to participate in symptomatic and/or pooled testing in order to take part in the new at-home test program.

Other New England states, including Connecticut and Vermont, have recently transitioned from individualized contact tracing to the use of at-home tests and focusing school health efforts on symptomatic testing. This new option will give Massachusetts school districts more flexibility and more resources in COVID-19 testing that have the most immediate impact to keep schools open.

Schools will be able to start opting-in to the program this week for staff and will receive tests during the week of January 24. Schools will receive tests for students whose families opt-in during the week of January 31.

The at-home tests will be shipped directly to school districts for distribution and are packaged in kits that contain two tests. Students and staff who participate will receive one kit every two weeks to test themselves. Families will need to inform their school if they want at-home rapid antigen tests sent home with students. If an individual tests positive at home, they should inform their school of the result. Schools will report positive cases to DESE as part of the weekly COVID-19 reporting already in place. 

The tests for this program will come from the supply of 26 million at-home rapid antigen tests the Baker-Polito Administration announced last week it ordered from iHealth and that will be delivered over the next three months. K-12 schools and child care centers will be prioritized for those tests.
 
Testing Program Data
With more than 2,000 public and private schools in the Commonwealth participating in COVID-19 testing, DESE and DPH have gathered robust data about the prevalence of COVID-19 in schools that clearly illustrates schools are safe environments for teaching and learning. Schools are one of the few types of settings in the state where individuals are tested on a regular basis.

Data collected over the past few months from the Test and Stay program is compelling around what it reveals about school safety. Students and staff individually identified as asymptomatic close contacts and repeatedly tested in school through Test and Stay test negative more than 90 percent of the time. As of January 9, 503,312 Test and Stay tests had been conducted; 496,440 of them were negative (almost 99 percent).
 
Data from K-12 pooled testing is equally as strong, pointing to the fact that school is safe. The data reveal that individual positivity rates are significantly lower than statewide positivity rates. Last week, despite elevated positivity rates in K-12 schools, the estimated individual positivity rate was still roughly 1/5 of the statewide positivity rate.

“Massachusetts’ first and most comprehensive in the nation school testing program has reinforced the fact that our schools remain safe places for students, teachers and faculty,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “The Test and Stay program data revealed extremely low rates of secondary transmission, which shows that close contacts very rarely test positive.”  
 
“Through experience with our robust K-12 testing programs, we have been able to learn that in-school transmission is extremely rare, and we understand from medical professionals and school nurses that now is time to provide additional options to districts. This increased flexibility will give communities the ability to do what is best for their students and staff and keep schools open for learning,” said Education Secretary James Peyser.
 
“As always, we are committed to using available data to inform our recommendations to schools and districts. We have heard from school nurses and superintendents that we need to adapt our strategy to allow them to focus directly on symptomatic individuals rather than identifying asymptomatic close contacts,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley.
 
Schools have maintained effective and safe operations all year, including during periods of high community transmission, by employing robust mitigation strategies which will remain in place. Public health officials continue to emphasize the importance of increasing vaccination and booster rates, monitoring daily for all COVID-specific symptoms, and staying home when sick.
 
Vaccines
As a reminder, vaccines continue to be the best way to protect all Massachusetts residents against the effects of COVID-19, and Massachusetts has among the highest vaccinations rates in the country for adults and adolescents. Students and staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. Schools can host mobile vaccination clinics to continue to provide access to vaccines and boosters for staff and students.

1/19起 每戶可免費申請4套新冠病毒居家檢測劑

               (Boston Orange整理報導) 聯邦疾病防治中心在網站上宣佈，1月19日起，人們可上網 (COVIDTests.gov.) 訂購居家篩檢劑，每個家庭可以申請到4套，並在民眾上網訂購的7到12日之內，郵寄到府。

                                                                              新冠病毒 (COVID-19) 有2種檢測，病毒檢測，抗體檢測。

                               病毒檢測用於檢查你是否現在感染了病毒，它會檢查從你的鼻子或嘴巴取得的樣本，來判斷你是否現在感染了導致新冠肺炎的病毒。

                               抗體檢測則是檢查你是否之前感染過新冠病毒。

                                 如果你有症狀，或者你認為自己曾暴露在新冠病毒的環境中，就應該和為你做醫療護理的機構，或者是州政府，市政府的公家衛生機構聯絡，已查知你可以到哪裡做檢測。許多地方醫療中心，還有一些藥局，都有檢測劑。

                       病毒檢測可以在實驗室裏、檢測站，在家哩，或在任何其他地方進行。

                        美國總統拜登(Biden)政府1月14日時宣佈，1月15日起，私營醫療保險公司的保險，將須包括免費的居家新冠病毒檢測。聯邦政府將每月增發1000萬劑新冠病毒檢測給全美各學校。

                         波克萊台灣商會前任秘書長陳玉瑛等許多熱心社區人士，已紛紛把這每家可申請領得4套免費新冠病毒檢測的訊息，轉發到各個群組，提醒人們充分利用。

                       查詢相關細節，可上網https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/diagnostic-testing.html。

                          麻州政府公共衛生廳在1月11日也已發佈通知，說明民眾可在州政府網站上藉由郵遞區號，並設定離家距離的來尋找免費檢測地點，(https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test)。波士頓市政府的相關資料，也可上網查詢https://www.boston.gov/departments/public-health-commission/covid-19-testing-sites。

                      聯邦政府的相關資訊，https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/01/14/fact-sheet-the-biden-administration-to-begin-distributing-at-home-rapid-covid-19-tests-to-americans-for-free/。

                    1月17日時，波士頓市府網站說明，放在社區夥伴那兒供民眾索取的免費檢測劑，暫時已發光。有需要的民眾，可電話查詢617-534-5050。

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CDC: Testing for COVID-19 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/index.html

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CDC: What to do if you’re sick https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html

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HHS: Community-based testing sites for COVID-19 https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites/index.html

Testing for COVID-19 (cdc.gov)