Beyond Boston, communities mull vax mandates of their own

Also: Baking for the holidays? Thank culinary pioneer Fannie Farmer; our favorite commentaries from 2021 [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 21, 2021 ☔➡️🌞 Rain before 2 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Good Morning Boston, Local and national leaders are continuing to respond to the quickly-spreading omicron variant. Here's what you need to know: - Gov. Charlie Baker will [activate hundreds of Massachusetts National Guard personnel]( and require hospitals to postpone or cancel non-essential elective procedures as a way to help bolster hospital capacity. Both will start Monday, Dec. 27. - The move comes as hospitals across the state are already operating at more than 90% of inpatient capacity. - The administration also announced a mask advisory for indoor spaces, but stopped short of a mandate. Why? "At this point in time, we have vaccines, we have rapid tests, we have our testing sites, and people know a lot more about what works and what doesn't with respect to combatting the virus," Baker said at a press conference. "If people wish to add an extra layer of protection by wearing a mask in indoor settings, we would urge them to do so." - Speaking of mask mandates, Watertown's starts today. Anyone 5 and older must mask up when indoors in public places. - You may soon need to be vaccinated to visit some businesses in Salem. Following Boston's lead, the city Board of Health will discuss tonight whether to require proof of vaccination in order to go to restaurants, gyms and other entertainment venues. - Colleges and universities across Massachusetts are also trying to think about how to control the spread of omicron, especially when students head back to campus for the spring semester after gathering with family near and far. Emerson College announced yesterday it plans to start the spring term with at least a week of remote learning. Harvard is also starting the semester remotely. - Not going for gold: The NHL is expected to announce players will [not be participating in the 2022 Beijing Olympics](. Multiple reports suggest the league is making the call because of scheduling conflicts caused by the pandemic. More than 40 games have been postponed in the last week and the league is taking an earlier holiday break than usual because of the number of players on the COVID-19 protocol list. - This is definitely a bummer for the several Bruins players named to rosters competing for the gold, as well as Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who was named an assistant coach for Team Canada. P.S.– Yesterday was the [shortest day of the year]( so it can literally only get brighter from here. Right? I hope you're all taking care of yourselves! If you're struggling, here are some resources for coping with the [pandemic]( [seasonal affective disorder]( and [burnout]( – as well as some evidence-based [tricks for feeling happier](. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Highly vaccinated Hopkinton sees spike in cases ahead of holidays]( At least 96 Hopkinton residents tested positive for COVID-19 last week, more than triple the weekly total a month ago. That's despite the fact that the town has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state. [Read more.]( [Highly vaccinated Hopkinton sees spike in cases ahead of holidays]( At least 96 Hopkinton residents tested positive for COVID-19 last week, more than triple the weekly total a month ago. That's despite the fact that the town has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state. [Read more.]( [Anxiety among restaurant workers increases as COVID cases rise]( “There has not been a moment of stability throughout this entire year,” said Bessie King, co-owner of Villa Mexico restaurant and a member of the group Massachusetts Restaurants United. [Read more.]( [Anxiety among restaurant workers increases as COVID cases rise]( “There has not been a moment of stability throughout this entire year,” said Bessie King, co-owner of Villa Mexico restaurant and a member of the group Massachusetts Restaurants United. [Read more.]( [Communities around Boston mull vaccine mandates of their own]( Several cities and towns around Boston appear close to joining the capital city in requiring COVID-19 vaccines to enter many indoor spaces. Officials say it's important to have consistent rules throughout the region. [Read more.]( [Communities around Boston mull vaccine mandates of their own]( Several cities and towns around Boston appear close to joining the capital city in requiring COVID-19 vaccines to enter many indoor spaces. Officials say it's important to have consistent rules throughout the region. [Read more.]( [In western Mass. and elsewhere, farmworkers face barriers to COVID-19 vaccination]( Undocumented farmworkers face many barriers when seeking health care. The pandemic has only widened that disparity. [Read more.]( [In western Mass. and elsewhere, farmworkers face barriers to COVID-19 vaccination]( Undocumented farmworkers face many barriers when seeking health care. The pandemic has only widened that disparity. [Read more.]( [Harvard professor found guilty of hiding ties to China]( Charles Lieber, 62, the former chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China. [Read more.]( [Harvard professor found guilty of hiding ties to China]( Charles Lieber, 62, the former chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Baking for the holidays? Don't forget to [thank culinary pioneer Fannie Farmer.]( - From a sing-a-long to a celebration of lights, here are [five things to do this weekend]( and into the new year! - We've published many commentaries and personal essays this year. But some continue to take up space in our minds and hearts, even a year later. Here are [some of Cognoscenti's most-read pieces of 2021]( as well as some of our editors' top picks. What We're Reading 📚 - It’s Time to Retire the ‘Julia Child Of’ Trope ([Eater]( - Your Favorite Scary Movie: The Oral History of ‘Scream’ ([The Ringer]( - What Happens if You Test Positive While Traveling? ([The New York Times]( Bookmark This [The best conversations and live journalism at WBUR’s CitySpace in 2021]( The pandemic forced CitySpace online to a virtual stage. But with that came a reinventing of WBUR’s live journalism, ideas and innovative conversations. Here's a look back at the best of 2021. [Read more.]( [The best conversations and live journalism at WBUR’s CitySpace in 2021]( The pandemic forced CitySpace online to a virtual stage. But with that came a reinventing of WBUR’s live journalism, ideas and innovative conversations. Here's a look back at the best of 2021. [Read more.]( Before you go: I'm living for the [potato subreddit.]( 😎 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   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 WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.