Feds Downplayed Coronavirus Risks In Emails To Mass. Officials

Also: Mass. records day free of COVID-19 deaths; Boston creates "Truth Justice and Reconciliation" commission ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( July 1, 2020 Good Morning Boston, 🌧️ Showers likely, especially in the mid-afternoon. Muggy. Highs in the mid 70s. Like many others, I felt relieved when I saw the daily coronavirus numbers released from the state last night. Here's what you need to know about the local outbreak and reopening guidelines: - Massachusetts hit an important (and positive!) milestone yesterday. For the first time in more than three months, Massachusetts health officials reported [no new deaths]( related to COVID-19. - When I first read the above, I personally felt very excited. It's nice to feel like we are taking steps away from the death and destruction that plagued March and April. But it's also important to keep things in perspective: We still do not have a vaccine or treatment for this virus, and the same flattening trends seen in Massachusetts are not reflective of the country as a whole. - On the same day Massachusetts reported zero deaths, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, told Congress that the first wave of illness isn't over – and that the nation [may soon record 100,000 new infections per day.]( - Those predictions are pretty disturbing. So why, in Massachusetts, where we are in our seventh week of reopening, do new cases continue to drop? Especially as restaurants have started on-site dining again and many businesses, including nail salons and retail stores, are allowed to welcome customers back? [Health experts]( and Gov. Charlie Baker say it's largely due to residents who have been vigilant about following safety guidelines. Baker urged people to not let up and to continue to "respect the virus." - The big news from Baker's press conference yesterday was that he's lifting the 14-day self-quarantine directive for anyone traveling into Massachusetts from any of the other five New England states, New York or New Jersey. People from outside of these areas are still strongly urged to quarantine. (Texas and Florida visitors, we're looking at you.) - Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market reopen today, with coronavirus-related safety measures in place. If you plan to shop or stop for a bite, bring your mask. P.S. – We knew this was probably coming, but the [2020 Big E fair has been canceled](. I'll have to learn how to make fried Oreos at home. Anyone have a good recipe? What part of the fair will you miss the most this fall? Shoot me a note. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[In Trove Of Emails To State Officials, Feds Downplayed Coronavirus Risks]( Federal health agencies' emails to state officials repeatedly downplayed the looming threat in the first three months of 2020, causing confusion and delaying action in Massachusetts and across the country. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Health Experts Feared COVID-19 Would Surge Back In Mass. After Protests And Businesses Reopening. It Hasn't]( Health scientists believe Massachusetts residents largely have themselves to thank for that. They credit widespread adherence to basic COVID-19 precautions such as mask-wearing, hand-washing and maintaining a safe distance from others. [Read more.]( 3. [Boston Creates Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission]( The commission will review the often fractured relationships between law enforcement and communities — many primarily comprised of people of color. [Read more.]( 4. [Exchanging COs For Clinicians, Mass. Makes Changes To Involuntary Addiction Treatment In Prison]( Correction officers will no longer be in charge of men involuntarily committed to addiction treatment at the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center at the state prison in Plymouth. The Baker administration said MASAC is undergoing a "comprehensive transformation." [Read more.]( 5. [Citing Supreme Court's LGBT-Discrimination Decision, Harvard Ends Sanctions Against Single-Gender Clubs]( The reversal — which depends on legal reasoning in the Supreme Court’s recent decision barring discrimination against LGBTQ workers — represents a surprising victory for the single-gender organizations fighting Harvard’s policy in federal court. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Members of the Boston Art Commission voted unanimously to [remove Boston’s copy of Thomas Ball's “Emancipation Memorial”]( which portrays an enslaved man at the feet of Abraham Lincoln. - Are face masks your best defense against the coronavirus? [The debate is pretty heated among researchers.]( whether masks work by protecting you from asymptomatic people or by protecting others from you, one thing is certain: Wearing your mask is one of multiple effective, protective measures people can take to stop the spread. - ICYMI: Here's [a recap]( of last night's Town Hall on what the post-pandemic world could look like. - We're beginning to recognize the need to reduce the footprint of policing in our communities and invest in systems of care to address harm and violence, writes Bonita Tenneriello [in this commentary](. We must do the same in our prisons. 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