Boston's vax mandate for gyms, restaurants starts tomorrow

Also: Hospitals in crisis as patients die while waiting for care, transfers; test your local news knowledge [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 14, 2022 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 36. A chance of snow, mainly between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Good Morning Boston, If you've had a hard week and need some optimism, meteorologist Dave Epstein says a "[bombogenesis]( storm is [just]( us](. My reaction: Phew! - Let's start with the biggest change coming this weekend. Starting tomorrow, you will need to show proof that you've been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get into places like gyms, restaurants, theaters and other arts venues in Boston. For this weekend, you have to have had at least one shot and you need to be fully vaccinated by Feb. 15. This includes not only customers, but employees working at these facilities. - The number of people hospitalized with COVID across the state is starting to rise. Health data show there are now nearly 3,200 positive people hospitalized – and a little more than half of those people are unvaccinated. - Good news: Hospitalization is a lagging metric when we talk about tracking waning and surging cases. New daily cases and the seven-day average of positive cases have both been trending down over the past few days. Hopefully, that means hospitalizations and deaths will begin to drop in a few weeks, too. - Three COVID-19 test sites in Massachusetts are getting shut down by the state because they were opened without proper licenses. The sites were located in Dartmouth, Needham and Worcester, and have received complaints previously about delays in getting people their test results. - News from our neighbor: President Biden is quite literally [sending in the troops]( to help Rhode Island hospitals. It's one of six states getting medical military personnel to help fill in amid staffing shortages. Help could arrive as early as next week. And in non-COVID news: - Carlos Santiago, the Massachusetts commissioner of higher education, [plans to step down]( in June at the end of the school year. He's been in the role since 2015. Some of the big accomplishments during his tenure include enabling thousands of high school students to enroll in college courses for credit for free, increasing financial aid; and developing a system of credit transfer from community colleges to four-year universities. - PSA: If you're at a parking meter, you will NOT have to use a QR code to pay for your spot. State police warn it's a phishing scam disguised as a quick-pay option. While no incidents have been reported here just yet, many police departments in Texas have reported the con. P.S.– Massachusetts is closely tracking COVID transmission in humans. But do you know what animal population the state is also monitoring for infection? Take [our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of the latest local stories. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [As health care breaks down in Massachusetts, patients die waiting for care]( Rona Tsantinis-Roy says doctors suggested her father might have survived if he’d been transferred to a larger hospital. Typically, that’s what happens when a patient at a community hospital needs more specialized care. But with hospitals full or nearly full across the state, transfers are harder and harder to arrange. Some patients are dying while they wait. [Read more.]( [As health care breaks down in Massachusetts, patients die waiting for care]( Rona Tsantinis-Roy says doctors suggested her father might have survived if he’d been transferred to a larger hospital. Typically, that’s what happens when a patient at a community hospital needs more specialized care. But with hospitals full or nearly full across the state, transfers are harder and harder to arrange. Some patients are dying while they wait. [Read more.]( [Moderates once dominated the Mass. GOP. Now they're struggling to find a candidate for governor]( Some Republicans say they are worried that GOP gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl is unelectable. Others argue a pro-Trump agenda is the best way to excite the grassroots and win in November. [Read more.]( [Moderates once dominated the Mass. GOP. Now they're struggling to find a candidate for governor]( Some Republicans say they are worried that GOP gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl is unelectable. Others argue a pro-Trump agenda is the best way to excite the grassroots and win in November. [Read more.]( [Rollins outlines priorities as state's new US Attorney]( Don't expect a so-called "do not prosecute" list from Rachael Rollins in her new role as Massachusetts US Attorney. [Read more.]( [Rollins outlines priorities as state's new US Attorney]( Don't expect a so-called "do not prosecute" list from Rachael Rollins in her new role as Massachusetts US Attorney. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court blocks Biden's vaccine-or-test mandate for large private companies]( But the court upheld a separate mandate for almost all employees at hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers that receive federal funds. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court blocks Biden's vaccine-or-test mandate for large private companies]( But the court upheld a separate mandate for almost all employees at hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers that receive federal funds. [Read more.]( [U.S. is 'fully prepared' if Russia invades Ukraine, secretary of state says]( Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is planning "things that we have not done in the past" if Russia invades Ukraine. Where do things stand now, and what can the U.S. do at this point? [Read more.]( [U.S. is 'fully prepared' if Russia invades Ukraine, secretary of state says]( Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is planning "things that we have not done in the past" if Russia invades Ukraine. Where do things stand now, and what can the U.S. do at this point? [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We'll say it again: Boston's vaccine mandate takes effect starting tomorrow. [Arts venues]( and [restaurants]( are weighing in on the change. - Scientists think they've found a [big, weird moon in a far-off star system](. How big are we talking? If it's confirmed to be a moon, it's bigger than Earth and orbiting a Jupiter-like planet. - Andrea Asuaje – WBUR podcast fans will remember her from ["Kind World"]( – always wanted to be a contestant on "Jeopardy!" She finally got her chance last fall, when she took the stage with Amy Schneider, who was just beginning her record-breaking win streak. [In this commentary]( she shares why she's still rooting for Schneider. What We're Reading 📚 - NPR hosts' departures fuel questions over race. The full story is complex ([NPR]( - ‘Genevieve Is Pitching Because She Can Get Outs’ ([The New York Times]( - 48 hours to live: A father and daughter’s battle with COVID just floors apart in a Boston hospital ([Mass Live]( Save The Date [1/19 @ 6:30 p.m. | This Changes Everything: How newsrooms are shifting strategies to better serve communities]( According to Poynter, more than 100 local newsrooms have closed during the pandemic. But, the news about the news isn't completely bleak. Join WBUR chief content officer Victor Hernandez for a virtual conversation exploring how community-focused media outlets are creating new playbooks to ensure essential facts and information continue to reach the greater public. [Read more.]( [1/19 @ 6:30 p.m. | This Changes Everything: How newsrooms are shifting strategies to better serve communities]( According to Poynter, more than 100 local newsrooms have closed during the pandemic. But, the news about the news isn't completely bleak. Join WBUR chief content officer Victor Hernandez for a virtual conversation exploring how community-focused media outlets are creating new playbooks to ensure essential facts and information continue to reach the greater public. [Read more.]( Before you go: [The fear]( never really fades. Clarification: In yesterday's newsletter, we wrote about MassInc's poll, which found most Massachusetts voters support free bus service for low-income communities. We incorrectly implied that it is undecided how the money collected from the proposed millionaire's tax will be used. An inherent part of the 2022 ballot question is that revenue will be used for transportation and education. Sorry for any confusion! 😎 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.](   Want to change how you receive these emails? 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