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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 ******************* All rights of articles and photos on this website are reserved.
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Danielle Allen Urges New Action On Ongoing Covid-19 Surge, Calls on Baker Administration To Take Proactive Approach to Protect Communities
Boston, MA — Today, gubernatorial candidate and pandemic response leader Danielle Allen called for new action amid the ongoing COVID-19 surge, filling a leadership vacuum that has left Massachusetts families to navigate the rapid spread of Omicron on their own.
Since early 2020, Allen has been a leading voice in Massachusetts and across the United States regarding best practices for pandemic response. Allen has built broad coalitions of community activists, medical experts, and government leaders in order to develop effective and proactive plans to respond to the public health threats faced by communities across Massachusetts. As families, schools, businesses, and communities across the Commonwealth grapple with the recent Omicron surge, Allen is offering practical solutions that would have mitigated the current situation and should be put in place to offer a path forward through future surges.
“I’m hearing from parents, families, and teachers across Massachusetts who are frustrated and exhausted — and I’m right there with them,” said gubernatorial candidate Danielle Allen. “The current situation with Omicron was predictable and preventable, and as the parent of an elementary schooler and a middle schooler, I see the impact that this is having on my kids. But the good news is, there’s a path forward. I’m calling on our decision-makers to act now and make sure that during the next surge, Massachusetts families, caretakers, health workers, educators and school staff have the support and protection they need to weather the storm.”
Allen is calling on the Baker administration to:
Shift our COVID-19 reporting and analysis to focus on hospitalization rates — using hospital capacity as the key metric to evaluate COVID-risk levels and to make determinations about when protective measures should be put in place.
Invest ARPA funds in fully building out school-based health teams linked to municipal offices of public health and the State Department of Public Health — to anchor ongoing work of community education, vaccine clinic provision, and testing and to improve the ability of state government to make decisions informed by educators with on-the-ground understanding of context.
Significantly ramp up availability of COVID-19 rapid tests — to provide communities, schools, families, and caretakers with the information and reassurance they need to act safely and protect themselves and each other.
Create an ongoing remote learning infrastructure to support students in need of remote learning — whether because of quarantine, or other health issues that may keep a student out of school even in times when they are available for learning.
“They say that if you want shade, the best time to plant a tree is thirty years ago, and that the second best time is today. That same principle applies to our pandemic response. I so wish our administration on Beacon Hill had put this strategy in place a year ago, but now is the time to act proactively, and make sure we’re in a different place the next time a new variant comes around,” said gubernatorial candidate Danielle Allen. “By ramping up access to rapid tests, getting schools the tools they need to stay open safely and keep all kids learning even during a surge, and shifting our key indicators to focus on how our hospitals are doing, we can get Massachusetts communities back on track — and flourishing.”
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麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker) |
這些檢測劑將優先供應給幼稚園到12年級的中小學,以及托兒照顧機構。
查理貝克表示,在之前的節假日前,麻州政府曾發210萬劑快速檢測給102個地方市鎮,尤其是比較貧困,以及確診率高的市鎮。州政府也在寒假結束,教師們返校前,發了20萬檢測劑給他們。州政府還安排了幾家合約廠商,讓地方市鎮可以團購,以較廉宜價格取得所需檢測劑。這次州政府也將以此模式為準,希望能更廣泛的協助人們防疫。
查理貝克還說,麻州公共衛生聽忠告民眾,如果有症狀,或是和已確診者有近距離接觸,就應做新冠病毒檢測。他強調,在大多數情況下,快速檢測都是”
聚合酶連鎖反應 (PCR)”檢測的安全替代辦法。
查理貝克透露,當初歐洲國家政府批准了許多公司大量生產新冠病毒檢測劑時,美國卻遲遲沒有批准,以至於有很長一段時間,甚至只有一家廠商可以生產,運送新冠病毒檢測劑。現在基本上有2家,獲得批准的則有大約10到15家。麻州之所以能夠拿到這麼大量的檢測劑,實在是因為麻州最早開始到處查找。
麻州的官方新冠病毒數據圖表每天下午5點更新,今日早上的7日平均確診率是22.39%,有2923人住院。州內各醫院病床,已有92%被佔用。麻州累計死亡人數已高達20,159人。
在記者會中,麻州州長查理貝克表示,醫護人員在過去這2年間,都以精疲力竭,亟需支援,所以他將在12月派出的500名國家衛隊人員之外,再增派500名從1月17日起前往各醫護機構支援防疫。 (更新版)
Baker-Polito Administration Secures Contract for 26 Million Rapid Antigen Tests
BOSTON - Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced an order was placed with iHealth to supply the state with 26 million rapid antigen tests over the next 3 months. The tests will be prioritized to support K-12 schools and childcare settings. The agreement allows for shipments of tests to arrive on a rolling basis in the Commonwealth, but the Administration warns that the timing and shipment amounts will vary depending on international shipping and production variables.
The Baker-Polito Administration also released a public health advisory this week to advise all residents on when to seek tests for COVID-19. The advisory advises all residents to seek COVID-19 tests when exhibiting COVID symptoms, or five days following a known close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID pursuant to MA DPH quarantine and isolation protocols, updated as of December 29 in accordance with the new CDC guidance.
The new isolation protocols do not require a COVID-19 test to exit isolation after having COVID. This general rule also applies to childcare and K-12. Additional information on testing protocols for specific situations in childcare can be found here and for K-12 can be found here.
The new quarantine protocols recommend, but do not require, all exposed individuals get a test five days after exposure. Exposed individuals do not need to quarantine in the following circumstances:
DPH advises that a positive COVID-19 rapid antigen does not need to be confirmed with a PCR test.
DPH recommends individuals that have COVID symptoms and test negative with a rapid antigen test should isolate and either repeat an antigen test or get a PCR test in 24-48 hours if they continue to exhibit symptoms. Additionally, DPH does not advise employers, or schools and childcare, to require a test as a condition of returning to work or school.
View the public health advisory here.
Vaccination and getting a booster remain the best possible protection against COVID. There are almost 1,000 locations in the Commonwealth for residents to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Visit VaxFinder.mass.gov to book an appointment.
Massachusetts National Guard
Governor Baker also today activated 500 additional members of the Massachusetts National Guard to support the state’s health care system. This order expands the National Guard activation of 500 members announced on December 21 to support non-clinical functions in the Commonwealth’s hospitals. Prioritized uses for the newly activated 500 members will be to provide additional non-clinical staffing at community hospitals and high-volume emergency departments, public hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and dialysis centers. These guard personnel will be deployed beginning the week of January 17.
(Boston
Orange 周菊子整理報導)
麻州新冠病毒疫情,以確診數而言,擴散情況驚人,但從住院和死亡人數來看,疫情的確不像新冠病毒2年前席捲全球時那麼嚇人。不少醫學專業人士紛紛表達新冠病毒將逐漸變得有如流行性感冒,人們只需要平日注意身體健康,採取預防措施即可。
1月10日公佈的1月9日麻州新增新冠病毒確診數,陡增至6萬986宗,住院人數2923,新增死亡人數53。住院者中有432人住在重症病房,273人插管。
確診者中,年紀在20到40歲之間人士佔最多數,
和1月4日的數據相比,新增確診16621,住院2372,新增死亡94,重症441人,插管262人的這些數據相比, 1月10日的新增確診增加速度驚人。
波士頓市截至1月10日,累計133,501人確診,95,071人痊癒,1535人死亡。在133,501名確診者中,白人最多,佔34%,其次為黑人及拉丁裔人,各25%,亞裔約7%。在累計死亡的1535人中,白人也最多,佔42%,有651人,其次為黑人佔33%,有510人,再其次為西班牙裔人14%,有210人,亞裔約佔8%,有117人。
根據Worldmeter的全球新冠病毒數據,全世界累計已有3億1148萬餘人曾經或現正新冠病毒確診,累計有551萬5127人死亡。美俄兩國現在成了全世界新冠病毒疫情最嚴重國家。
美國的1月10日新冠病毒確診新增67萬3837宗,新增死亡1002人。在全世界各國新增確診數有低至0的,而次多的印度也僅新增167,348宗,美國的疫情似乎最嚴重。新增死亡人數次多的則是俄國的741人。
各國處理疫情的手法不盡相同。網上有新聞報導指稱,跨入2022年後,中國大陸繼西安,河南禹州之後,剛剛又再封鎖了安陽,境內共有2000萬人受封城影響,被困家中。
查詢州政府公佈的新冠病毒疫情,可上網https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting。
查詢波士頓市政府公佈的新冠病毒疫情,https://www.bphc.org/whatwedo/infectious-diseases/Infectious-Diseases-A-to-Z/covid-19/Pages/default.aspx。
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第12浸信會牧師Willie Bodrick II宣佈2022年的馬丁路德金傳承獎得主是波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)) 。 周菊子攝) |
第12浸信會是波士頓最早的教堂之一,因為民權領袖馬丁路德金 (Martin Luther King Jr.)1950年代在波士頓大學研讀系統神學博士時,曾任該教會助理牧師,還在這教堂認識了他的妻子,最近這些年來,每年都舉辦「馬丁路德金日」禮拜,每年也都有多名波士頓州市政要在這天出席致敬。
1月9日出席的就有波士頓市長吳弭,波士頓市議會議長愛德華費林 (Ed Flynn),波士頓市議員Richardo Arroyo,波士頓市前代理市長Kim Janey,以及去年9月才代表所屬協會送出100萬美元給第12浸信會的King Boston行政主任Imari Paris Jeffries。
由於新冠病毒疫情,當天下午4點舉行紀念禮拜時,整個教堂只有50人左右。
波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn全程在座。(周菊子攝) |
Willie Bodrick II說,那時候他可沒想到,但現在他深深感激,神會用這個人,這位女士,堅定站立的成為一名大膽改變的領袖。他感謝與她的友誼,但更為她追求正義的熱情而興奮,他也為她站在抗議者中間,仍能看見必須做的對的事。
自從吳弭眼見冬季來臨,新冠病毒出現高傳染性變種奧米克戎,確診個案陡增,宣佈所有市府員工都必須注射新冠病毒疫苗後,抗議人士就三番兩次,成群結隊的來到波士頓市政府大樓抗議。1月3日她為13名新屆波士頓市議員主持宣誓就職典禮時,這些抗議者也又再高舉抗議標語牌,大聲喧嘩,擾亂儀式。
身為台灣移民之後,成為波士頓市有史以來第一位有色人種市長的吳弭,還成為了仇恨,種族歧視,以及討厭女性訊息的澆灌對象。
(Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州中小學教育局 (The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,簡稱DESE) 在1月10日宣佈,所有幼稚園到12年級公立學校必須戴口罩的規定,將展延至2月底。
該依規定原訂本週結束。
麻州教育局長Jeffrey C. Riley通知各學區,該局和醫療專家及州政府醫療官員討論過後,決定展延這一規定,將繼續評估公共衛生數據。
DESE原本的規定是,一旦學校內的學生及教職員有至少80%已完整接種新冠病毒疫苗,就可取消戴口罩規定。
該規定要求5歲以上的所有年級公立學校學生,以及教職員,在學校的室內場所都要戴口罩,只有在吃或喝東西的時候除外。這一規定也適用於所有踏進學校的訪客,不論他們的疫苗接種狀態。
室外則不須戴口罩。
雖然這規定沒要求年紀在5歲以下的兒童也戴口罩,但DESE鼓勵托兒照護者也為這些幼童遮掩口鼻。
因醫療相關理由不能戴口罩的師生,可豁免於這一規定。
根據麻州校際體育協會(Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
(MIAA))的指導原則,任何學生運動員及教練到學校以外場所時,也須遵循室內戴口罩這規定。
學生及其家庭應自行準備口罩之際,學校應準備一次性口罩給有需要的學生。
聯邦政府公共衛生命令仍然要求所有學生及工作人員在學校巴士上戴口罩。這8月份發出的規定,展延至10月後,1月10日又再展延。
麻州的教育聯席委員會議員們上星期舉行了公聽會,聆聽民眾對規定2歲以上兒童也得戴口罩這法案提議的意見。