The Boston Globe reports that mayoral candidate Amy Sangiolo has publicly called for a city wide indoor mask mandate in Newton to help bring the latest Covid uptick under control.
““As mayor, I would immediately enact an indoor mask mandate in Newton, just like the one Belmont has put in place. I’m not going to wait for Charlie Baker to weigh in on something so obvious,” Sangiolo said in the statement.
Mayor Fuller has issued a statement strongly encouraging the use of masks indoors but stops short of a legal mandate. Mayor Fuller noted that there is “a place for mandates” and the city will continue to consider them, specifically as Newton Public Schools prepare to open next month.
What do you think?
Would you like to see Newton institute a citywide legal mandate that mask are required indoors or are guidance and recommendations enough?
If Mayor Fuller holds her nerve on the current common sense policy, it will be a major aid to her reelection.
I think the schools will need one.
Ms Sangiolo maybe prescient here. I think it’s only a matter of time before delta hits Newton and we have breakthroughs…
I agree with Amy. But Fuller has not been a leader on anything Covid related. She waits to see what other communities do and piggybacks on that, declines help from renowned public health experts, and did an inadequate job with a safe return to school.
Amy Sangiolo is only getting a head start on what seems quite probable municipal mandates a few weeks or a month down the road. I had both Moderna jabs in late January and early February, but I started wearing a mask in all indoor places a week ago because cases are ticking up in Massachusetts and I have absolutely no idea if I or those around me in stores, restaurants, City Hall, the library or the Newton Y might have an invisible, but still transmittable form of the virus. I also don’t know if the effectiveness of my more than 7 month old vaccines has diminished. Now, I returned to the Y right as it reopened last winter because things were so closely controlled that I felt comfortable doing so. But too many unknowns about Delta and what kind of even more deadly variances might be following it. Amy sending an early warning signal about a common sense and easy to implement mitigation measure. It’s clear some won’t like it, but Amy’s willingness to propose it shows leadership.
Past performance is always fair game at election time. This comment isn’t about that.
However, the past year has clearly demonstrated the risks and dangers of mixing politics and public health decisions.
Until after the election, the Mayor, Newton public health officials, and to a lesser extent City Council are in charge. I think there’s a difference in saying, “I think that Newton should” or “I urge the Mayor to” versus “As Mayor I would.” It may seem like nit-picking, but the words of leaders and would-be leaders matter.
This isn’t a standard political issue or a usual political time. Lives, health, and well-being depend on us getting things right. I personally support an indoor mask mandate at this time and masking in schools in the fall, but I know that discussion-making in the city are ongoing on both. As someone who is immunocompromised, I’ve got at least as much skin in the game as anyone else. I’m willing to let COVID-related decisions play out, in the short term at least. I want the best decisions possible, ones that adapt to the need, with as few political constraints as possible.
Sound like Amy is just trying to manufacture some “debate” to differentiate her from the mayor. It’s perfectly fine with me if Mayor Fuller chooses to adhere to state guidelines.
Newtoner and Rick Frank, where do you live? I live in a town where the hospital is seeing a “steady rise in Covid-related cases” and they’re canceling elective surgeries. It’s not all due to Covid but why do they need to wait until it is due to only to Covid?
And if 80-87% of all new Covid cases in the last two weeks of July in the United States were caused by the Delta variant..it’s here Rick. And it’s been here for a month.
Newton has been reacting. Ruthanne REACTS. Newton can LEAD. Ruthanne waits to see what others do. (sound familiar NPS? Ruthanne is also on the school committee.) Australia and New Zealand LED when it came to Covid-19 response. The United States reacted…poorly. Amy isn’t suggesting a radical lockdown like New Zealand. She knows we’re never going to be New Zealand or Australia. She’s saying that for once, Newton stop following every neighboring town when it comes to Covid-19 response. This isn’t that dramatic. Belmont is doing it. Wouldn’t it be a refreshing change to not react until Charlie Baker decides to enact a statewide mask mandate?
(Did you know that Ruthanne’s husband and son respect Charlie Baker so much that they’ve personally written him checks totaling $3,500? Her husband gave him the personal max contribution in 2016.)
@Casey, I live in Newtonville, and I realize that we will likely need a mask mandate ( or call it what you will) soon, as flu season begins. Especially for schools; however, I’ll go a step further and predict that once schools open we’re likely to see shutdowns and remote learning again until we can get vaccines approved for young people. It’s a shame it can’t be sped up somehow.
It’s easy to kibbitz to the base from the sidelines. We should expect nothing more from Ms. Sangiolo.
It’s hard to lead.
Even with 75% of all adults in Newton fully vaccinated, an indoor Mask mandate is essential in curbing this new highly contagious Delta variant
I hope that gyms and fitness centers stay exempt from indoor mask rules. These are places that have a voluntary clientele – and it is really hard to work out in a mask. There has been a lot of weight gain since the start of the pandemic and that has its own health risks.
Don’t most places have “voluntary clientele?” The only places that don’t would be pharmacies and supermarkets. (And medical facilities that require masks anyway)
@Casey,
If you are concerned about the delta variant you can wear a properly fitted N95 mask or you can stay home. Mayor Fuller understands that Newton is filled with vaccinated, otherwise healthy people that are not in the at-risk ages for covid deaths. Many of us are done with cloth mask theatre and masks on the way to the bathroom theater.
A mask mandate for vaccinated people will decimate Newton’s businesses.
Fuller is leading from behind once again.
Kids clearly need to be masked in schools. We all should be wearing masks indoors. Both are CDC guidelines now, and the onus should be on Fuller for explaining why we aren’t in compliance.
It’s an obvious move to be made, yet she dithers. Parents should not have to be worried a out an unmasked classroom. I shouldn’t have to be worried about unmasked people in indoor places. The science is clear.
Fuller has proven herself to be a weak leader. Not willing to make “tough” decisions, even when it’s as simple as following CDC recommendations.
We deserve better. She is not a leader.
It’s great that we in Massachusetts have been so conscientious about getting vaccinated. Unfortunately, we have no control over all of those who are not, will not, or cannot be vaccinated, and the consequences are increasingly dire. It’s obvious that victory was declared too soon this spring, people let their guards down, many didn’t get vaccinated, and now we are where we are. Thus, the only way out of the pandemic now is some form of compelled mask wearing, be it the carrot or the stick.
In fact, @craig, most Americans support returning to mask mandates. Interesting fact, the biggest gulf between who does and who does not want masks runs across party lines.
I represent the majority. We want to keep each other safe and healthy. Right now that means children but also people in other age groups. You can get a break down of who’s in the hospitals.
I’m not the one that needs to hide at home. It’s people who don’t like facts about those who claim to be democrats but actually donate thousand to republicans who are still in office who are hiding.
https://morningconsult.com/2021/08/04/mask-mandates-behaviors-polling/
A broader question for those that support mask mandates:
Vaccination rates in Newton are incredibly high and committee spread of covid is incredibly low. With the stipulation that covid is never “going away” (I won’t entertain “zero covid” foolishness in this debate), and the understanding that global vaccination rates are never likely to approach Newton’s, what is your exit strategy for masks? And (despite no randomized controlled trials supporting this contention) if you are so certain of the efficacy of masking, why not simply wear one if you are concerned?
If covid panic purveyors succeed in implementing mask mandates in schools, please understand that this will very likely mean the entire school year. Which means that current high school juniors will have had half a normal year as freshmen, an all but lost last year, and then another year of masks. All to protect them from a disease that has a .000x chance of killing them.
If masks in schools are so effective and virtuous, why doesn’t Europe do it?
Honestly, I’d much rather see vaccine mandates than mask mandates for most places.
COVID-19 is an Endemic for the millionth time. It is here to stay forever. The only thing we can do is manage our expectations at this point. If you want to wear a mask go for it. If you don’t want to wear a mask go for it. If you are vaccinated then the Delta variant won’t do much to you.
I’m excited for when people start discussing the Lambda variant and see the chaos it creates here in Newton.
I am so tired of the fear mongering going on with national and local politics. Amy is politicizing something that has already been over politicized. I thought she would be a nice change of voice from the current Mayor but it seems like she will be worse.
Sorry Amy take the virtue signaling somewhere else. You have no exit strategy and you are only harming local businesses which have already been decimated.
Masks, testing and contact tracing kept universities open and safe this past year. Boston University’s positivity rate was always a fraction of Newton’s – never exceeding around 0.2% and mostly lower. I felt much safer at BU than I did in Newton. And, this past year in colleges we had no vaccines. Yes, we will be continuing to wear masks at all of my places of employment this September in spite of mandatory vaccination policies and I am just to be able to work in person-not remotely. And even more importantly, I am keeping my mask on to protect my friends and loved ones who have had transplant surgeries, compromised immune systems, autoimmune disease, etc.. Go Amy! we need leadership and not wishy washy, feel good hugs.
I didn’t feel the Mayor showed great leadership regarding schools last year, but I do not think she is being irresponsible by not mandating masks at this time. However, I predict that by the time school starts, students and and staff will need to wear masks. I am very interested to hear how Amy would have handled the school situation differently from RuthAnne. I can imagine Amy being even more conservative regarding opening schools.
My perspective is that the mask mandate for vaccinated people is more political than not, especially since the data doesn’t support it being successful. In July, 99% of cases in Massachusetts were in unvaccinated people. Across the study (linked below) which included 24 states, the lowest percentage of cases from unvaxed people was 94%. Mandate masks for unvaccinated people, and don’t tell me it’s hard to police it, because that would be lazy.
The fact is, you must contract covid to spread covid. If 99% of new cases are in unvaxed people, perhaps mandating masks in vaxed people could reduce somewhere between 0-1% of new cases. Doesn’t seem like this is the biggest bang for our policy buck, especially in a city with 95% of people over 30 fully vaccinated. And if you feel you are at risk or are around those who are, I highly doubt anyone in this town will shame you for wearing a mask.
The data and science overwhelmingly support the success of vaccines in preventing severe outcomes. @Cyrus said it well, this is Endemic and never going away, so we cannot expect to eliminate this virus. At some point cases won’t matter and the media has to stop sensationalizing case counts and surges and spikes. In the UK, the delta variant brought a rise of cases that was NOT accompanied by an equal rise (it wasn’t even close) in hospitalizations – so they opened up and have not seen a new surge. Let’s focus on things that work, not frivolous politics.
https://www.vox.com/22602039/breakthrough-cases-covid-19-delta-variant-masks-vaccines
Bruce C: Sangiolo was part of the Safer Teachers Safer Students Newton Coalition that lobbied the mayor’s office and health and human services for asymptomatic testing of students and teachers to get everyone back into the schools. You can see her response to the school’s issue here: https://sangiolo.org/schools/.
I wear a mask when I go indoors these days. But I do think this is mostly theatre at this point, and more political than not. Unless you are going to mandate KN95 or N95 masks, a mask mandate does very little. When masks were mandated, I saw dozens of folks wearing painter masks with an exhaust port, neck gaiters, or paper masks that clearly didn’t fit, or masks beneath their nose. If folks want to wear a mask and wear it correctly, they do. Those that don’t, don’t. Absent a real punishment or hard enforcement, the mask mandate means very little to adults.
Now our kids are a different story. I’m torn on the kids wearing masks but they will listen to the mandates in school. All of my kids are used to it now, but I’ve certainly seen their mental states suffer greatly over the past 18 months, and lack of direct connection makes a huge difference. We are protecting our kids and harming them at the same time.
As for Amy’s call for a mandate, I’ve seen this now a few times from Amy. She made a similar public statement about West Newton (which is much better now once the traffic lines have been painted). The political challenger needs to find ways to differentiate themselves from the incumbent, and that is somewhat hard to do with Mayor Fuller. Personally, I’d prefer to keep politics out of Covid decisions, so this particular call strikes me as a bit tone deaf. There is a lot to criticize about last year with the schools, but generally I think Mayor Fuller did a good job on masks and vaccines, and keeping the public informed.
I’m guessing folks will start paying attention to this race in a few weeks, but thus far it has been pretty quiet. Tough to generate momentum when no one is paying attention.
“Unless you are going to mandate KN95 or N95 masks, a mask mandate does very little.”
Figgy, where are you getting this? I haven’t heard this before so I did some Googling and can’t find anything to back this up. Sure, KN95 and N95 masks are best, but I can’t find anything to support the claim that without them a mask mandate does “very little.”
I strongly disagree with fig. I believe masks are an effective tool, not “theatre.” And I believe–in light of the Delta variant– Newton should have a mask mandate right now. It makes it much easier for private businesses to require masks without having to take endless grief from anti-maskers.
MMQC:
Even if you believe that cloth masks do something (which Osterholm, Emmanuel, and Gottlieb have all disputed in the past week), I think Fig is referring to the fact that people wear them improperly, touch them, move them, never wash them, etc. If people don’t think they are theatre and believe in their efficacy, great. They can wear them. Just don’t impose these unscientific beliefs on children.
I ask again, if you believe that vaccinated children ought wear masks with our current understanding of the risks to them, when will it ever be safe to take them off?
So it seems that supporters of Amy Sangiolo are supporting a mask mandate, and those of Mayor Fuller are advocating voluntary mask-wearing? The political context is unavoidable
I literally said a few comments ago that I’d rather see vaccine mandates versus mask mandates. No, I don’t think fully vaccinated kids need to mask at school (with current information – this could change if variants rendered the current vaccines ineffective) but I think vaccines should be mandatory for grades 7-12 this fall and for younger kids after the vaccines are available. But until then, I think the 11 and under set need to be masked indoors.
@MMQC, I agree 11 and under, and all unvaxed people, should be masked for now.
Masking the vaccinated 72% of the state (or higher for Newton) when they only account for 1% of new cases is theater. This is a waste of money and political capital and is not grounded in science or data. Data can change, circumstances can change, but for now a universal mask mandate is not effective.
FWG, I wouldn’t make sweeping generalizations about supporters. I’m not sure who I am voting for. I like a lot of things about Amy. And this is why Amy is wrong to make this political and to say “when I am Mayor I will…” Let’s not start to have this discussion becomes politics by other means. Too important. I don’t really care if Amy is for or against this tbh, I’m more interested in the actual discussion of the correct public policy stance.
Mike and MMQC, please note that I said I wear a mask indoors and that I believe in masks as a way of preventing C19. But the Delta variant is far more infectious, and there have been multiple reports that cloth masks are less effective for it. For a sample article, of which there are many:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/n95-mask-delta-variant-kn95/2021/07/23/ee849e6c-eafe-11eb-97a0-a09d10181e36_story.html
But my main point is that forcing a mask on someone who doesn’t want to wear one just isn’t that effective. They wear them beneath their nose and chin. They wear them with exhaust ports (defeating the community spread purpose). They wear simple bandanas. They end up being the loosened necktie, there for show, not much more. When everything qualifies as a mask, it just isn’t that effective.
I’m not trying to make this political. My entire family masks up when indoors. But I’m careful about what masks I use, and I’ve tried to teach my kids how to use them. I just don’t think a mask mandate vs a mask recommendation makes that much of a difference, since the folks who listen to it are already largely doing so. I’m sympathetic to Mike’s argument that it makes it easier for businesses to enact a requirement. In that, perhaps it makes a difference. In Boston or in places where the percentage of folks who are unvaccinated is higher, perhaps there too. And maybe there is a larger percentage of folks who aren’t already masking up indoors in those areas.
You know what would make a real difference. Requirements to be vaccinated to use gyms, go to restaurants, go to school, teach at school, etc. You know, like the colleges are requiring. In comparison to that, mandatory masking just isn’t that effective, especially if you aren’t mandating the actual mask used. And absent proof of vaccination requirements, I’d limit gatherings again too. We are holding concerts in indoor facilities. Bars are open and packed. Restaurants are open. Churches and synagogues are open. Masking does little to nothing in those areas and activities. We pretend it does, but we take off the mask to eat and drink. And the crowded nature of some of these activities will defeat a cloth mask with Delta.
I doubt Mayor Magoo will mandate masks. She is after all a crypto Republican.
Lots of opinions here on appropriateness of mask mandates, but no real expertise. Fig’s opinion on the clinical effectiveness of various masks indoors (did you really do that Fig? Only N95, huh?) with no data nor expertise- it’s foolish and stunning. We have people who have dedicated their lives to infectious disease and public health, and while they aren’t perfect, they are light years more qualified and knowledgeable to be recommending the path forward on COVID. It’s disheartening that relatively smart and knowledgeable people generally like Fig and others here, think it’s completely acceptable to be armchair public health experts (and with no data to bring to the conversation!!!)
CDC has weighed in on when indoor masks should be in place with specific criteria, ones that apply to Middlesex country. It’s that simple. We’re out of compliance with CDC recommendations for no good reason. Leave Fuller and Sangiolo out of this. Simply stunned by the comments about masks here. Ignorance abounds.
PS @Pat P- 99% of hospitalizations are unvaccinated people, but in terms of cases 25-30% are in the vaccinated population. Impact of vaccinations on long COVID is a key unknown/TBD.
Amy’s right. Dr. Fauci is right. Nothing more to say.
Alec – no, cases are 99% unvaxed people. See data below.
https://www.vox.com/22602039/breakthrough-cases-covid-19-delta-variant-masks-vaccines
@Pat P– Keep riding that dead horse. The article you linked is from 2 weeks ago. It’s a whole new world today. Vaccinated people are less likely to get severe COVID. Less likely to get tested, and therefore not accurately accounted for in the data. Unfortunately they can spread the virus just like an unvaccinated person.
@Pat P
Lol, you keep reading Vox for your COVID data, I’ll stick with New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA.
In short- counting cases since the beginning of this year to determine the proportion that are vaccinated is pure stupidity- that’s what was done in the Vox article that you cited. Very few people were fully vaccinated in January (literally a few thousand health professionals), and we were at peak cases in MA and nationally. So counting those cases are meaningless in a vax vs unvaxxed comparison. If you look at data since June or July- when most were fully vaccinated (of those backed) and Delta began to emerge, you’ll see that the rate is 1/3 vaccinated cases.
Delta changed the game. Vaccination has a 40-50% effectiveness rate against Delta for infection (still 90%+ against preventing hospitalization and death). See Israel or Mayo studies.
Alec the article is only July data.
Im not sure how that is invalid, it is across 24 states.
Unvaxed people must be masked. We must mandate vaccines.
Those are necessary and effective. Lets do those two measures immediately.
Also, 40-50% vs delta (infection) is Pfizer, moderna which I got is far better at 76%. Not all vaccines are equal. Not all states or towns are equal. Newton is literally the best possible place to live for this time. And this is why a universal mandate is unnecessary.
“ the Moderna vaccine (also known as mRNA-1273) was 76% effective at preventing infection, but the Pfizer vaccine (known as BNT162b2) was 42% effective.”
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/mayo-clinic-covid-breakthrough-risk-may-be-much-lower-with-moderna-than-pfizer/3215548/
@Pat P
Massachusetts had 8000 vaccinated cases, almost all within the last 4 weeks. Do the math. That’s not a few percent. That doesn’t even factor in that vaccinated cases are disproportionately asymptomatic, meaning fewer are likely to be tested, so the 8000 is a relative under-reporting compared to unvaccinated cases.
Moderna and Pfizer data is true. Moderna’s effectiveness data is from July and will continue to decline (the studies show 95% effectiveness as within first two months of vaccination and declines over time, hence the need for boosters).
Our county doesn’t meet CDC thresholds. Newton isn’t in a bubble. I’d love a vaccine mandate and get rid of masks, but that’s not where we are. Vaccines are marginally effective at preventing Delta spread. Wish it were different but it’s not.
Alec: Well, apparently you didn’t bother to read my post in full or I did a really crappy job of explaining my thoughts. Maybe a bit of both.
I didn’t say only N95 (although they are much much better), and I posted to actual article from the Washington Post showing how various experts feel like cloth masks aren’t enough for the Delta variant. I should not have said absent N95 due to Delta Variant that cloth masks “do very little”. I should have said, “cloth masks don’t do enough”. So if that is all you read, perhaps that is why you reacted the way you did. Language is important, and being flippant on my part was wrong, but here is what I meant:
I’m not an expert but things are changing fast, and the CDC has trouble keeping up. Trusting them and them alone would have meant my family wasn’t wearing indoor masks for most of July, and that was when Delta was already spreading. It took the CDC a month after July 4 and Provincetown to send out revised guidance.
And I practice masking when I go indoors to public places, and have been since Delta came on the scene, certainly before the CDC guidance, on the advice of several infectious disease docs taking care of a close family member. Sadly, I now know a hell of a lot about Covid and its short term and long term impacts on both the young and the old. Not all of us are looking at this stuff from the point of view of the sidelines. Call me an armchair public health expert if you want, but I’ve spent much of the past year in and out of hospitals for loved ones with Covid issues, and I listen to the doctors I’ve come to know at Mass General and Brigham who are experts in this. (If you are at-risk right now, don’t just rely on a cloth mask to go to a crowded indoor space. Ideally avoid the space, especially if you can’t wear the right mask the right way.)
Here is what I AM questioning: I’m questioning the mandate and its real world value. If you read my comment, I’d welcome a mandate that actually works. N95’s are clearly better in most cases (and the CDC has said that, my infectious disease docs all say it, and it clear the CDC held back on recommending them early due to lack of such masks, and because the average person doesn’t like the discomfort of them, so the less effective cloth mask is better than no mask). But if you have a cloth mask, you have to wear it the *right* way and not every cloth mask is effective. Again, CDC guidance, and expert guidance alike. But in my view, the folks who are likely to follow these rules CORRECTLY already are doing so. I’m not questioning the CDC, I’m questioning the effectiveness of a mandate with no teeth, with no type of mask required (Ideally we’d have a clear mask standard with govt supplied masks). I’m questioning why we aren’t requiring vaccinations to go into restaurants and gyms, like NYC.
The CDC guidance is below:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7030e2.htm?s_cid=mm7030e2_w
I’ll note for the record that per their standards, while Middlesex County might qualify, Newton does not. Our community spread is quite low, our vaccination rates are the highest in the country, and our hospitals and ICUs have very few Covid patients within them. But again, I’m not saying do nothing. I’m saying make what we do more effective. I’ll also note for the record that the CDC guidance provides reference points from before Delta virus, so the effectiveness of cloth mask wearing under Delta isn’t provided (click on the supplied links to the studies provided).
Be stunned if you wish, call it ignorance if you want, but I think I made clear in my posts that I’m not questioning masks. I’d like to advocate for *effective* government action. That would mean a mask mandate with standards (a list of masks that qualify would be a good start and a requirement to wear them over your mouth and nose, although last time folks just ignored that guidance to a large extent), and a vaccination program for a return to public life (certainly a requirement of private companies holding concerts and large events that vaccinations are required for attendance).
I’m not trying to be unreasonable here. I suppose a mandate like Amy supports is better than nothing. But my fear is that it ends up being theatre for many folks. Folks return to life inside, wear incorrect and crappy masks that helped before but do little to stop Delta, and feel they did their part. Meanwhile the folks who are against all of this do their best to skirt it, and we do nothing to push vaccinations except a stupid lottery that pushed few folks to get it.
We are to some extent blessed to be where we are. I have a lot of family in the South. They are feeling isolated and trapped, with kids too young to vaccinate and 50% of the populace too stubborn to get a shot. At least in Newton we are 85% plus vaccinated, with 96% for 30 years and older.
Sadly, I think the Delta variant changed a lot of things, and it takes us a while to catch up to it. Same for the CDC. I’m frustrated by all of this, and how much of what we do to prevent this seems more focused on making folks feel like they are doing *something* vs doing the *effective* thing. And *effective* data is key here, because everything, including mask wearing, has a cost and a benefit, especially for kids.
And I’m frustrated with this country and even our community, where we can’t even have discussions about something life and death without it becoming political and tribal.
And with that, I’m taking a break from all this for a while. I honestly can’t stand to have another 3 months of political sniping on top of months of Covid issues to come. I’m sure I’ll summon up some interest about the coming election at some point, but right now I couldn’t give a crap about who wins or loses. It feels petty and small and silly. So I’m going to ignore it for a bit. My last post for a while.
Alec, feel free to have the last word.
The efficacy data against the delta variant are all over the place so far, either because of small study size or some uncontrolled variables. Seven studies are summarized here: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-how-well-covid-19-vaccines-work-against-the-delta-variant
5/7 studies suggest Pfizer has very high efficacy against delta. See e.g. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891. The Mayo and Israeli studies are troubling, but the Mayo study isn’t yet peer reviewed, and all evidence indicates that vaccination greatly reduces the danger of an infection.
Get vaccinated if you haven’t already! And given the current climate and uncertainty about vaccine efficacy, wear a well-fit mask indoors. I agree with Ms. Sangiolo and have no concerns that she is “politicizing” the issue of public safety.
I don’t really understand people’s beef about politicizing public health. If things have to be mandated, it has to be done by our local government, right?
@Fig
The CDC knows everything that you posted or have roughy about. It’s frankly not that sophisticated. They have recommended masks I. Places above certain thresholds. Honestly, I don’t think you really fathom the information gap that exists between you and those making decisions.
WaPo should never be sourced as evidence for COVID. I rarely read an article that doesn’t have some scientific or medical error by mainstream publications. It’s not a surprise, they’re written by journalists out of their depth. Experts give them quotes, they don’t really understand what they’ve been told, and scientific opinions are too often construed as facts.
To the rest- enough with the armchair QBing. It’s all well and good to be informed and decide if you want to be extra safe beyond recommendations, but the CDC is clear. Masks indoors. No one here is qualified to argue otherwise. Including Fuller or Baker.
The CDC has clearly stated that masks must be worn indoors – everywhere – Newton included. Baker and Fuller are the not listening to the CDC’s advice. We should be looking to our governmental leaders to lead.
Alec,
I’ll decide what I’m “qualified” to argue about. I don’t think you can “fathom the information gap” that existed between you and the Trump White House. Was it ok to question them?
The CDC has one goal, and that is to minimize the spread of covid. Their job is DISEASE CONTROL. They are not tasked with overall student well being, the economic health of our fragile small businesses, or any of the thousands of other factors that local leaders must weigh each day.
Kudos to Baker and Fuller for resisting the easy cover of broad CDC mandates.
Kudos to them for leading.
@Bruce Wang. Cut out the name calling of Mayor Fuller as it reflects poorly on you. Like her or not…we should give her the respect of being our Mayor.
I made the mistake of voting for her back when I was uninformed about city politics. I lost all respect for her after a series of actions or rather lack of action (the gun shop, passivity on schools) that suggest behind that mask on her newsletter photo is a clueless rich person. Magoo is my short hand for all this. Out of respect I do refer to her as Mayor.
Public health experts are understandably frustrated, but they are also cautious by nature and don’t have to consider societal tradeoffs. While public health guidance is important to shaping policy, science is not a monolith and science can’t tell us what to value. Unlike Governor Baker, Mayor Fuller, and other elected officials, public health experts have a limited mandate…to track the virus and communicate recommendations about the virus…they are not elected so they don’t focus on community values and societal trade offs which are at the heart of political decision making. Governor Baker, Mayor Fuller and other elected officials certainly should seek advice from public health experts, but also need to consult social psychologists, economists and education experts. The mood in much in the U.S. and Western Europe is shifting, with extremely low hospitalizations and deaths among the vaccinated population. The risk to children from covid has always been microscopic (yes, there are rare exceptions but a massive database speaks to the rarity of severe outcomes among reasonably healthy children). Covid will be with us for decades (maybe forever) so at this point we need to learn to live with in the same way we live with other viruses while society functions.
Fuller is trying to play both sides on the issue. Her last email was basically trying to make it seem like she’s making a difference with masking and pandemic safety, but it’s not actually doing much at all. It’s all for show. She wants to look like she’s taking a stand without actually taking one.
(Not to mention the “you have to have deep pockets to live in Newton!” and then the section of food insecurity. Tone deaf to say the least.)
I had to go back to read the “deep pockets” comment. What exactly was her point with that whole thread? Why did she limit the analysis to just single-family homes? I suspect the analysis regarding two-family and multi-family homes would show a similar growth.
Also, the fact that only 9 single-family homes sold for less that $700,000 isn’t at all surprising since developers are driving up the price of modest single-family homes to demo them and build two luxury units. The data point I would be curious about is how many sfhs were bought by developers and how many never went on the open market