The House, for the second session in a row, passed legislation legalizing sports betting. This year could be the year for Massachusetts - at least, advocates hope so. That includes neighbors of Massachusetts: New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire. I think at this point, since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, there are now about 30 states that have legalized sports betting within their borders. And with sports teams back in action, cheered on by fans in stands, what's holding up Massachusetts lawmakers? Many other states have already jumped on board with sports betting. Now the pressure's on for state senators who have yet to put sports betting on their calendar. The governor has long been a proponent that schools can resume in-person instruction safely, as long as they follow safety protocols, get vaccinated, and maintain things like social distance.Ĭarrie Healy, NEPM: The Massachusetts House again passed sports betting legislation last week. Fauci and others in the federal government and the Biden administration have said they are beginning to look at mask mandates again, even for the vaccinated, perhaps indoors.Īnd should some new guidance come out, I think we would look to see if the governor responds to that.īut for right now, the governor says the statewide mask mandate will remain as it is, advising people who are unvaccinated to wear masks, but that it is safe for everyone else to go about their business.Īnd that includes schools coming up this fall. He feels that the state has worked hard to get people vaccinated, that vaccines work, and that the state is following the guidance - particularly the guidance that comes from agencies like the CDC revolving around what fully vaccinated people can do safely. Matt Murphy, State House News Service: I think what you saw in Provincetown, you're likely to see in other parts of the state should other severe clusters pop up.īut regarding the governor's reaction, I think what you're seeing is less a shift in his view towards the efficacy of masks and more his belief in the efficacy of vaccines. Matt Murphy of the State House News Service joins us to talk about whether the governor has shifted his views about much of the benefit or drawbacks of a mask mandate. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker says he's not planning another statewide return to masking - but in the past, he's put restrictions in place, and required residents to mask up. They hope by sharing their story it might get one more person vaccinated.A spike in COVID-19 cases on Cape Cod prompted some communities there to call for mask advisories. Adalja said.Īs for Joe Woolley and his husband, their symptoms have been mild, largely because of the vaccine. “COVID-19 is now a vaccine-preventable illness, so when you see hospitalizations or see deaths, the vast majority are preventable,” Dr. Adalja says he hopes that the current spike in cases nationwide will push those who are holding out on getting the vaccine to finally get inoculated against the virus. “When those breakthrough infections occur, they are usually clinically insignificant meaning they have no symptoms or little symptoms,” Dr. But those COVID-19 infections among vaccinated individuals don’t mean the vaccine isn’t working, and in fact, quite the opposite. While breakthrough infections are incredibly rare, Dr. Amesh Adalja is an infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins University. “For us, this is really highlighting the importance of getting vaccinated,” Woolley said.īecause of a sudden spike in cases, Provincetown and other cities across the country are now starting to reimplement mask mandates.ĭr. Joe Woolley is now one of those breakthrough cases. Most of those cases are turning out to be from the highly contagious delta variant, and many of the positive tests are in individuals who’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19. In the last few weeks, health officials in this coastal community filled with tourists have reported more than 256 new COVID-19 cases. For Joe Woolley and his husband, Jim Schmidt, a recent trip to Provincetown, Massachusetts seemed like the perfect chance to travel after being locked up for nearly a year and a half because of COVID-19.īut for Woolley, that recent trip to Provincetown is serving as a painful reminder that the pandemic is far from over. It had all the makings of a picture-perfect vacation.
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