COVID rates are dropping. So are some mask mandates

Also: What's next for BPS; a surge in mental health needs [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 8, 2022 🌨️ Rain this morning, with a high near 42. Good Morning Boston, And congratulations to all the Terriers and Huskies out there; Boston University and Northeastern will [face off in the men's Beanpot final next Monday]( following wins over Harvard and Boston College, respectively. Now, onto the rest of today's news: - Just in: Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo [announced this morning]( that he is running to be Suffolk County district attorney, setting up a potential race against [interim DA Kevin Hayden]( to succeed [former DA-turned-U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins](. - Coming off the peak of the omicron surge, COVID-19 rates across Massachusetts are dropping — and so are mask mandates. Officials in Worcester voted last night to drop the city's mask mandate for indoor public places on Feb. 18. They're hardly alone. Canton plans to drop its indoor mask mandate next Monday, while Salem's Board of Health will consider reversing its mask and vaccination mandates for certain indoor places during a meeting today. Lowell, Malden and Mansfield have also recently lifted indoor mask mandates, while Melrose and Sudbury plan to consider the move today. - Zoom out: The governors of Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey [all announced plans Monday]( to lift their statewide school mask mandates in the upcoming weeks, as [many blue states]( shift their approach to the pandemic after omicron. - Zoom back in: Massachusetts, where the statewide school mask mandate is currently set to expire on Feb. 28, could be next. Gov. Charlie Baker [told reporters Monday]( that his administration will announce whether the requirement will be extended further or expire "at some point in the not-too-distant future," noting the rollback timelines set in Delaware and New Jersey were "pretty consistent" with the Massachusetts school mask mandate's current end date. - Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius [will step down at the end of the school year]( after nearly three years in the position, most of which was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. - In [her resignation letter]( Cassellius didn't give a specific reason for her departure, which city officials called a "[mutual decision]( - The news means more turnover for a school district that has cycled through seven different superintendents since 2006. - Mayor Michelle Wu wants to appoint a permanent replacement (rather than an interim superintendent) by the time Cassellius leaves in June, [according to The Boston Globe](. - Some education advocates told WBUR's Carrie Jung that they're concerned about the tight timeline. They're also hoping the next superintendent doesn't roll back [recent exam school admission reforms](. - Wu and Cassellius are scheduled to hold a press conference today at 10:15 a.m. at Brighton High School. You'll be able to watch it [online on the city's website]( or listen to WBUR later for coverage. - Here's something Wu and Cassellius will probably be asked about: [the Boston Teachers Union is suing BPS]( alleging that the district did not reasonably accommodate teachers who wanted to continue working remotely due a disability or health condition that made them vulnerable to COVID. P.S.— Speaking of the Beanpot, it's never not a good time to watch [this classic WBZ clip]( of hockey fans at the Boston Garden in the midst of the 1978 blizzard: "I'm getting home on Southern Comfort and 7 Up!" Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [The pandemic has had led to a surge in mental health need in Mass., survey finds]( Researchers found that more than one in three Massachusetts residents over the age of 19 reported needing behavioral health care for themselves or a close relative. [Read more.]( [The pandemic has had led to a surge in mental health need in Mass., survey finds]( Researchers found that more than one in three Massachusetts residents over the age of 19 reported needing behavioral health care for themselves or a close relative. [Read more.]( [Vaccine hesitancy or lack of access? New study examines racial gaps in COVID vaccination rates]( The research suggests barriers to access were a more significant factor in vaccination disparities in the U.S. than the U.K. [Read more.]( [Vaccine hesitancy or lack of access? New study examines racial gaps in COVID vaccination rates]( The research suggests barriers to access were a more significant factor in vaccination disparities in the U.S. than the U.K. [Read more.]( [Former Broad Director Eric Lander resigns as White House science adviser over treatment of staff]( A White House review found credible evidence that the top scientist violated its “Safe and Respectful Workplace Policy." [Read more.]( [Former Broad Director Eric Lander resigns as White House science adviser over treatment of staff]( A White House review found credible evidence that the top scientist violated its “Safe and Respectful Workplace Policy." [Read more.]( [Supreme Court lets Alabama use GOP-backed map of the state's congressional districts]( The court's action came on an emergency appeal from Alabama, which challenged a decision by a three-judge federal court panel that included two Trump appointees. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court lets Alabama use GOP-backed map of the state's congressional districts]( The court's action came on an emergency appeal from Alabama, which challenged a decision by a three-judge federal court panel that included two Trump appointees. [Read more.]( [Paying bills or buying masks: Simple living with COVID is hitting some Americans hard]( As the human toll of the coronavirus continues to mount, so does the cost that comes from living during a pandemic. For some, it means choosing between paying bills or buying masks just to stay safe. [Read more.]( [Paying bills or buying masks: Simple living with COVID is hitting some Americans hard]( As the human toll of the coronavirus continues to mount, so does the cost that comes from living during a pandemic. For some, it means choosing between paying bills or buying masks just to stay safe. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - It's easy to quit Spotify if you're Neil Young. But for younger, up-and-coming artists, the decision becomes about more than the moral high ground. In the wake of the streaming service's Joe Rogan controversy, Radio Boston [talked to two local artists]( about how they're balancing their activism with their budding careers. - Concerts have been simulcast for years. But a new initiative to install 4K cameras at the Boch Center's Wang and Shubert theaters in Boston will [make virtual attendance a "pretty gorgeous" experience](. - Why is car buying still a teeth-pulling experience? NPR [explains](. - Heads up: To mark the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China, WBUR's Here & Now is releasing a podcast next week called "[The Great Wager]( a five-part look at the risky encounter — from the secret meetings that set the stage to the ongoing reverberations today. It will also be accompanied by a Feb. 24 discussion at WBUR's CitySpace. [Tickets]( are free! What We're Reading 📚 - How Failure Forced Canada Into a Curling Reckoning ([The New York Times]( - Cambodian rise in Lowell politics shadowed by dark history in homeland ([The Boston Globe]( - Tsarnaev, the Death Penalty, Three Murders in Waltham, and Me ([Boston Magazine]( Tell Me Something Good [U.S. skier wins Olympic silver in Beijing, half a century after his mom won gold]( Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s Vermont family has sent six athletes to the Winter Olympics, including his mom, who won gold as an alpine ski racer in 1972. [Read more.]( [U.S. skier wins Olympic silver in Beijing, half a century after his mom won gold]( Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s Vermont family has sent six athletes to the Winter Olympics, including his mom, who won gold as an alpine ski racer in 1972. [Read more.]( Before you go: Mahty is ready to [make sure that baseball playuhs are fayuhly]( cahmpensated. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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