Households Main Driver Of Coronavirus Clusters, State Reports

Also: Mass. lawyers say state falsely accused them of sending drugs to prisoners by mail; Travis Roy dies at 45 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( October 30, 2020 Good Morning Boston, ❄️ Snow, mainly before 1pm. High near 35. I'm sorry to have to report this, but you [may see some snow]( outside your window this morning. Blame Hurricane Zeta. Here's what else you need to know this morning: In coronavirus news: - Last night's weekly coronavirus report from the state paints a worrisome picture. More than a third of towns and cities are now considered high risk. We went from 77 communities in the red to 122 in just a week. - The report came out a little later than usual last night, but it included new information on case clusters. The main takeaway: The biggest clusters have been in households. What could this mean? If you live with grandparents or others at high risk, you may have to consider wearing masks and distancing from them, even at home. - Of the 2,945 ongoing clusters identified between Sept. 27 and Oct. 24, 2,707 were from households, accounting for 6,830 cases. Long-term care facilities came next, with 59 clusters (568 cases), then child care (28 clusters, 70 cases) organized athletics/camps (21 clusters, 91 cases), restaurants and food courts (19 clusters, 70 cases) and K-12 schools (18 clusters, 62 cases). - And according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's weekly coronavirus report, 201 students and 85 staff members tested positive since last week. That's a 42% increase from the week prior, but it still represents only a small fraction of the overall public school population. - A reminder: A community moves into the red if it has had more than eight new cases of COVID per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks. Other highlights you should know: - Travis Roy has [died]( at the age of 45. Roy was a Boston University hockey player who was paralyzed 11 seconds into his first college shift. He went on to become an advocate for spinal cord injury survivors, both in and outside the sports world. - Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins has agreed to[reduce the 1971 murder conviction]( of Arnold King. What's not being contested: King, who is Black, was convicted of the 1971 robbery and murder of John Labanara, who was white. But during King's trial, prosecutors rejected every prospective Black juror. "Racism undid this verdict and conviction," Rollins said. "Any anger and disappointment should fall squarely at the feet of this office’s decisions in 1972. Although Mr. King is no longer the 18-year-old who committed murder, Mr. Labanara’s family still grieves and will never see John again. This is not a victory." - Election 2020: The [final NPR Electoral College map analysis]( shows Democrat Joe Biden going into Election Day with an edge, while President Trump has a narrow but not impossible path to win the presidency again. But this crystal ball of sorts is not fool proof as 2016 showed us, so we'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out. P.S.– I know tomorrow is Halloween, but I want to talk about Thanksgiving for a moment. With the holiday upended because of the pandemic, we're wondering what creative ideas you're coming up with to save the holidays. Whether they're complicated or simple, related to food or connecting with others, reply to this email to let us know what you have planned – we may feature it in a future story. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)['Such Feeble Evidence': Mass. Lawyers Say State Falsely Accused Them Of Sending Drugs To Prisoners By Mail]( The attorneys say the test the DOC uses to detect illicit drugs on mail is not intended to be used on documents, and the results are not considered reliable until they're confirmed by a lab. They are calling on the state to stop punishing prisoners without first confirming the test results. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Internal Documents Reveal COVID-19 Hospitalization Data The Government Keeps Hidden]( Where are hospitals reaching capacity? Which metro areas are running out of beds? NPR has learned federal agencies collect and analyze this information in detail but don't share it with the public. [Read more.]( 3. [5 Takeaways From Boston's Climate Resilience Plans For Downtown, North End And Dorchester]( Read the reports if you have time — they have lots of detailed information and snazzy maps. But together they're close to 300 pages long, so if you can't face that much reading, here are five quick takeaways. more.]( 4. [Moderna: 'We're Ready' To Ship 20 Million Coronavirus Vaccine Doses By The End Of 2020]( But that hinges on whether the FDA and the equivalent regulatory agencies of other countries approve Moderna’s product, which is built on a new and untried vaccine technology. [Read more.]( 5. [Mass. Unemployment Filings On The Rise As National Claims Fall]( More than 59,000 Massachusetts residents filed first-time unemployment claims last week, according to U.S. Labor Department data. That's up slightly — by about 2,300 people — from the week prior. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - If you're heading to the polls on Tuesday, [this guide to in-person voting]( is a must read. - The new book "Lost Wonderland" sheds a light on [Revere's forgotten amusement park.]( - Don't gut the MBTA during the pandemic, write Mike Vartabedian and Olivia Nichols [in this commentary](. Those of us who rely on public transit now are most likely essential workers – from grocery store employees to health care providers. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Commentary | Follow Science: That's How To Fight Climate Change — And How We Should Be Fighting The Pandemic]( [Listen]( ELECTION 2020 [Need To Drop Off Your Mail-In Ballot? Here's Where To Bring It]( Your Guide To Voting In The 2020 Election, From Mail-In Ballots To Hitting The Polls. [Read more.]( Mass. Voters: Let Us Know About Any Voting Problems You See. [Read more.]( 10 House Races To Watch. [Read more.]( Get all the Mass. election information you need sent to your inbox before you cast your ballot. [Become an informed voter in only three days.]( What We're Reading - A room, a bar and a classroom: how the coronavirus is spread through the air ([El Pais]( - It Should Never Be This Hard ([The Cut]( Tell Me Something Good [Kids In The Kitchen: Child-Proof Tips And Recipes For Cooking As A Family]( With schedules upside down and inside out, it’s a great time to invite kids to come into the kitchen and cook with you. Before you go: [This]( made me smile. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? 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