Baker "Not Considering" New Mask Guidance

Also: how a man's regret spurred friends to get vaccinated ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( August 16, 2021 Good afternoon everyone, In the last week, the COVID-19 landscape of Massachusetts has changed a lot. UMass Memorial Medical Center re-opened its command center to help manage the delta surge. All counties in the state have also crossed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [threshold]( high or substantial COVID risk, and cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. [Gov. Charlie Baker still says]( he has no plans for a state-wide mask mandate. Instead, local leaders are considering reinstating some COVID restrictions that were commonplace a year ago, like indoor mask mandates and distancing protocols, or placing [vaccine requirements on government workers](. Overall, the trend toward more cases isn't surprising, given what we learned about the delta variant a couple weeks ago. When I spoke with health experts who studied the Provincetown outbreak, they said it was clear that the delta variant can infect fully vaccinated individuals, and that the variant is much more infectious than previous strains. What's also becoming more apparent is that the vaccines still work — and they work very well to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death. WBUR's Lynn Jolicoeur and Lisa Mullins reported the story of [Bill O'Hare]( who told his friends that he wished he'd gotten vaccinated after becoming hospitalized with COVID. Read about that and more below. P.S.—The state abandoned its red-yellow-green risk level system, but it continues to provide some town-by-town data each Thursday. So, WBUR has stepped in to help you stay informed. We added a new map to our COVID data page that shows where the most cases per capita are happening around the state. Check it out [here](. — Angus Chen, health reporter newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[Friends Hope Webster COVID Victim’s Regret Spurs More Vaccinations]( Bill O'Hare III died from COVID-19 complications in July. Before he died, he told friends and family that he wished he'd gotten the vaccine, spurring them to get vaccinated and try to spread his message. [Read more](.   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    [Massachusetts Cities And Towns Debate Mask Mandates, Vaccine Requirements]( As the delta variant spreads, a growing number of Massachusetts cities and towns are imposing mask mandates or requiring government workers to be vaccinated. But some local leaders complain there's no single statewide approach, leaving communities on their own. [Read more](.  [6 Things To Know If You're Immunocompromised And Considering A 3rd Shot]( Friday's recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leave some questions about exactly who is eligible for an additional dose and how to get it. Here's what we know so far. [Read more.]( - Related: [Fauci Says COVID-19 Booster Shots Are Needed For Those Who Are Immunocompromised](  Support the news [Kid COVID Cases Increase Across U.S., But So Far, Not In Mass.]( Infectious disease physician Dr. Rick Malley spoke to WBUR on what we know about how delta affects children. [Read more](. - News You Can Use: [How To Keep Your Child Safe From The Delta Variant](  [Don't Focus On Kids' Weight Gain. Focus On Healthy Habits Instead]( Weight is an incredibly fraught topic — and an imperfect indicator of health. As parents, a kid's sudden weight gain can be hard to know how to tackle. The last thing we'd want is to set the stage for poor body image or eating disorders for our children. [Read more.]( What We're Reading Coronavirus infections have so far affected young teens and children less than older teens and adults, and that's still true even in the age of delta. But, there's a new study that suggests once babies and toddlers are infected, they may be more likely than teenagers to spread the virus to others in their household, Emily Anthes [reports in The New York Times]( this week. That might be because they require so much close contact with their caregivers, and they can't isolate from others when sick either. "This study showed that even the youngest of children readily transmit the virus," University of Western Australia epidemiologist Zoe Hyde told the Times. “ Then there was another person who posted on his memorial page. She said, 'I got vaccinated because of Billy. The private messages that we shared before he went on the ventilator traumatized me. Get vaccinated, people. Bill should still be with us.' — Melissa Paris Houston, ["Friends Hope Webster COVID Victim’s Regret Spurs More Vaccinations"]( ICYMI [People Who Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Held Financially Liable, Medical Ethicist Argues]( Getting vaccinated protects not just yourself, but also the people and society around you. So, here's a conundrum to consider: what do the people who choose not to get vaccinated owe the rest of us? Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan discusses that with WBUR's Here & Now.   [Facebook](    Did you know a [huge asteroid called Bennu might collide with Earth in the 2100s]( The chance is still low, but a new NASA calculations suggests the probability is higher than previously thought. [Yikes]( 😎 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]( [WBUR][WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](. Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You signed up for this newsletter at wbur.org. Our mailing address is: WBUR-FM 890 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02215-1205 [Add us to your address book](