Why Mass. is changing how it counts COVID deaths

Also: Mass. Ukrainians sending help back home; baseball is (potentially) back [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 11, 2022 🌞 Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Good Morning Boston, I love a good "then and now" photo, so I'm nerding out over [this comparison from The Boston Globe of Boston in 1848 to the city today](. But before I fall too far down the rabbit hole, let's run through the day's news: - Changing it up: The state is [updating how it counts COVID deaths](. Now, deaths counted will be for those who test positive for COVID within 30 days and die of natural causes. As a result of the change, 4,000 deaths will be removed from the total count – that's more than 15% of the total – and 400 that were missed will be added. So in raw numbers, the state’s pandemic death toll currently stands around 23,000; after the revisions, it will be closer to 19,000. - Why are these changes happening? Health officials say Massachusetts was greatly overcounting deaths compared to other states. The new calculations are intended to give the state a more accurate picture of its death rate and help figure out who was the most impacted by the pandemic in terms of age, race and sex. - How were we counting before? At the beginning of the pandemic, anyone who got a COVID positive test was counted as a COVID death (regardless of time lapsed or other causes). Then officials narrowed it to any diagnosis within 60 days and not obviously different causes, like trauma. But that scope proved still to be too broad. - You'll have to keep masking up on planes, trains and public transportation. TSA [extended its travel mask mandate]( through April 18. It was originally set to expire on March 18. - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is trying to make good on her campaign promise of rent control. She [announced Thursday]( the members of an advisory committee who will be tasked with recommending ways Boston can limit increasing rents. The plan is expected to be delivered by January, before the next session begins on Beacon Hill. - "Unacceptable." That's what Wu is saying about the makeup of the current Boston Fire Department class. Of the 90 recruits, only one is a woman. And [according to The Boston Globe]( more than 94% of the department's workers are male and 72% are white. - Boston Fire Commissioner Jack Dempsey is responding to the backlash. He says civil service rules are in part to blame for hindering the department's attempts to diversify. - Gas prices are up... again. The average price for a regular gallon of unleaded gas is now $4.36, up 1 cent from yesterday, [according to AAA](. Diesel prices are up to $5.21 per gallon. - One group especially worried about the rising rates: ride-hail drivers. Many are cutting hours, saying the extra costs are "just not worth it." So, companies like Uber and Lyft are rolling out programs for drivers that offer cash back on gas purchases. (It's not yet clear if that cost will be passed on to riders.) P.S.— Do you know what the state is stockpiling 3.5 million of? Then take our[ Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of the local stories this week. And if you complete the quiz, you can add your name to a giveaway to win a $25 Dunkin' card. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. Ukrainians send money, tactical medicine to battlefield back home]( There are roughly 10,000 Ukranians in Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Census, and many of them want to help. Groups are coordinating cash donations, medical supplies and more. [Read more.]( [Mass. Ukrainians send money, tactical medicine to battlefield back home]( There are roughly 10,000 Ukranians in Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Census, and many of them want to help. Groups are coordinating cash donations, medical supplies and more. [Read more.]( [Visa renewal backlogs leave some Mass. workers torn between work and family]( Thousands of working professionals are authorized to work and live in the U.S., but their work visas have expired. The pandemic has complicated the once simple process of returning home to renew, with wait times now lasting months or even years. [Read more.]( [Visa renewal backlogs leave some Mass. workers torn between work and family]( Thousands of working professionals are authorized to work and live in the U.S., but their work visas have expired. The pandemic has complicated the once simple process of returning home to renew, with wait times now lasting months or even years. [Read more.]( ['Forever broken': 2 Massachusetts women testify before Sackler family members]( Two Mass. women were among the more than two dozen people from 19 states who spoke during a court hearing Thursday, confronting the Sackler family and sharing in gut-wrenching detail the losses they've endured during the opioid crisis. [Read more.]( ['Forever broken': 2 Massachusetts women testify before Sackler family members]( Two Mass. women were among the more than two dozen people from 19 states who spoke during a court hearing Thursday, confronting the Sackler family and sharing in gut-wrenching detail the losses they've endured during the opioid crisis. [Read more.]( [Americans' stress is spiking over inflation, war in Ukraine, survey finds]( The annual survey finds Americans more on edge than ever, triggered by financial issues, the war overseas and the cumulative pressure of living through the pandemic. [Read more.]( [Americans' stress is spiking over inflation, war in Ukraine, survey finds]( The annual survey finds Americans more on edge than ever, triggered by financial issues, the war overseas and the cumulative pressure of living through the pandemic. [Read more.]( [Young kids reflect on fear, joys and lessons learned during the pandemic]( Kids have a lot to say about the last two pandemic-dominated years. WBUR's All Things Considered wanted to hear from some of the youngest — kids who barely had a foothold in elementary school when COVID-19 came crashing in. [Read more.]( [Young kids reflect on fear, joys and lessons learned during the pandemic]( Kids have a lot to say about the last two pandemic-dominated years. WBUR's All Things Considered wanted to hear from some of the youngest — kids who barely had a foothold in elementary school when COVID-19 came crashing in. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Good news for Red Sox fans: Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached a [tentative new collective bargaining agreement]( on Thursday, which means baseball could return as early as April 7. If all goes according to plan, spring training would start this Sunday. - To keep the smiles coming, I recommend [listening to this Radio Boston segment]( that is all about moments of joy. The team sat down with two Boston journalists, Kara Baskin, a correspondent for The Boston Globe, and Meghan Kelly, multi-platform editor for WBUR, and heard from callers about their own moments of joy and pride over the course of the pandemic. (And for more joy, [check out our pop-up newsletter, The Pick Me Up]( - There are so many big lessons we have learned during two years living and dying with COVID-19, writes Eileen McNamara [in this commentary](. But there have been smaller lessons, too, no less important. What We're Reading 📚 - Inside the High-Stakes, Zero-Sum Game of Youth Club Sports ([The Boston Globe]( - The impossibility of a “limited” no-fly zone ([Vox]( - Dino Dragger: Fisherman hauls up woolly mammoth fossil ([National Fisherman]( Life Advice [What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at work]( Whether it's depression, anxiety, burnout or something else, if you're struggling with your mental health at work, it can be hard to know what your options are and how to seek help. Here's a look at the stigma around mental health at work, how to spot an issue and what to do about it. [Read more.]( [What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at work]( Whether it's depression, anxiety, burnout or something else, if you're struggling with your mental health at work, it can be hard to know what your options are and how to seek help. Here's a look at the stigma around mental health at work, how to spot an issue and what to do about it. [Read more.]( Before you go: This is such a [relatable mood](. 😎 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 © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.