Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Springfield, New Bedford, Lawrence: hotel, allergies, live)

[Amontillado]

I think a big part of it is a person's willingness to think they're a part of society, and to believe that if the government tells you to do something for your health and everyone else's health, it's something you ought to do. If you have the underlying belief that government is against you, that you're not considered important and you've got no chance to join the wealthy group, then you might see getting the Covid-19 vaccination is just another thing "they" tell you to do for no benefit to you, and you might not cooperate. I think some people are even holding onto this attitude while they know that it's poor people, and especially ethnic minorities, who've suffered the highest death rate from the virus.

[mdovell]

I think some of it also stems from the basic fact that non violent death kills much more than violent death. But it's violence that sells. Obesity will kill more people of color than all the gang and drug wars combined. And yet the corner store still sells fatty and salty foods that can contribute to heart diseases and cancers. How many still smoke? I grew up with nearly everyone in my family smoking and the long timers all died from it. Hypnosis worked for one and a few others went to vaping (I know).

I'm 41. I went to my 10 year high school reunion but missed the 20th. Marc is about twice the size of what he was. I've seen whisky barrels with shorter waist lines. I used to be a magnet for fat people for some reason. A good friend of mine went from 330 lbs to 300 lbs to 270 lbs and is hopefully less today. Health compounds. the complex I used to live in had this large guy that used a electronic wheelchair. he wasn't disabled, he was just very fat. Looked like Harvey Weinstein with a moomoo. anyways they had to kick him out because he was on the top floor and had so much stuff it would prevent first responders from getting to him. Some might argue that being fatter might mean you can work it off. there's a difference between can and will. There's only so much weight that a body can support, only so much cholesterol that veins can deal with etc.

Sometimes youths think they are invincible. My girlfriends school just lost two students in an auto accident (probably hydroplaned on water into the tree). I've seen a push where I live to take masks off of kids in school. I think it's a bit redundant given that by now they are probably off for the year and within the next ten weeks vaccinations will probably cover them.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

There’s something of a “the world ends at 495” thing going on. Springfield and New Bedford/Fall River have lousy vaccination rates.

Sadly, Springfield is not the city it used to be. Uneducated, poverty...a dead city somewhat like Lawrence. Please do not judge WMass by Springfield. (I know you wouldn't, GeoffD.) It's the demographics of the dead city that make the vaccination rate so low.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Sadly, Springfield is not the city it used to be. Uneducated, poverty...a dead city somewhat like Lawrence. Please do not judge WMass by Springfield. (I know you wouldn't, GeoffD.) It's the demographics of the dead city that make the vaccination rate so low.

Is hardly a dead City when you're talkin about 15% growth year-over-year in the housing market. If it's uneducated why there four colleges universities there?

Can there be a poverty? Absolutely but why would any business be there? Go and see for yourself I even know a Cornell grad that went down and he told me it wasn't bad.

Like Lawrence? No and I'm not going to put down Lawrence but there's a lot more going on in Springfield. You have a second largest transit system in the entire State, you got access to the riverfront, you've got the largest Municipal Park system in Massachusetts if not New England, you've got neighborhood groups and religious groups and nonprofits that have festivals in the vents all throughout the year. There's plenty to do in plenty to see. It's hard to argue about poverty of houses keep going up in price. And rents keep going up in price.

Housing is going on in the general population has gone off and gradually empty lots of being replaced with the additional housing and storefronts. If you want to develop an area you generally want to access to energy lines and water lines and Sewer lines and telecommunication lines. It's easier to develop and have a larger audience in Springfield than it is in a rural area. Most of Western Mass is consolidating the Hampden in the Hampshire County. There isn't that much going on in Franklin and Berkshire County.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Is hardly a dead City when you're talkin about 15% growth year-over-year in the housing market. If it's uneducated why there four colleges universities there?

Come on, man. You have to be able to see how neither of these two points reflect the health of the city as a whole.

It's "dead" in that it has relatively stagnant population growth in spite of overall growth in the state and region. It's had 30+ year decline in the number of people employed, 30+ years of increasing unemployment, and a net loss of major employers. 4 colleges mean very little to Springfield's education according to the data - about 12% of the population holds a bachelors degree. It's among the lowest in MA for the percentage of the population with a high school diploma, and it has one of the highest dropout rates in the state. The 4 colleges largely serve a population that gets a degree and moves on. That's why it's "uneducated."

[massnative71]

More Than 500 Breakthrough Infections Reported in Mass. in Under 3 Weeks




https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local...weeks/2406851/


"More than 500 fully vaccinated people tested positive for coronavirus in Massachusetts in under three weeks, according to recent state data.
As of June 5, there were 3,641 cases of COVID-19 among 3,500,011 fully vaccinated people in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Public Health. That's 558 more cases than the reported 3,083 fully vaccinated people who had tested positive as of May 17, first reported by MassLive.
The so-called breakthrough cases — cases where fully vaccinated individuals test positive for coronavirus — have so far been rare, but are possible. The numbers account for approximately one in 1,000 vaccinated people in Massachusetts."

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by massnative71

More Than 500 Breakthrough Infections Reported in Mass. in Under 3 Weeks

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local...weeks/2406851/

"More than 500 fully vaccinated people tested positive for coronavirus in Massachusetts in under three weeks, according to recent state data.
As of June 5, there were 3,641 cases of COVID-19 among 3,500,011 fully vaccinated people in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Public Health. That's 558 more cases than the reported 3,083 fully vaccinated people who had tested positive as of May 17, first reported by MassLive.
The so-called breakthrough cases — cases where fully vaccinated individuals test positive for coronavirus — have so far been rare, but are possible. The numbers account for approximately one in 1,000 vaccinated people in Massachusetts."

It could just be that I'm out of my depth when it comes to interpreting this data, but I still read this as a positive. Even accounting for the likelihood that the vast majority of "breakthrough" cases go uncounted (due to individuals being asymptomatic), this is an extremely small fraction of the vaccinated population. I'd like more concrete numbers of what percentage of breakthrough cases have severe symptoms or end up hospitalized, but generally we knew the vaccines weren't 100% effective and this reads to me like good news.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by lrfox

It could just be that I'm out of my depth when it comes to interpreting this data, but I still read this as a positive. Even accounting for the likelihood that the vast majority of "breakthrough" cases go uncounted (due to individuals being asymptomatic), this is an extremely small fraction of the vaccinated population. I'd like more concrete numbers of what percentage of breakthrough cases have severe symptoms or end up hospitalized, but generally we knew the vaccines weren't 100% effective and this reads to me like good news.

I guess the main concern would be the "under 3 weeks" part. Like what were the numbers in the preceding 3 week period? I get that the data is extremely insufficient, and as long as cases/hospitalizations continue to plummet we must be doing OK. But I can also see where the Delta variant could rear its ugly head among the unvaccinated, given all these asymptomatic cases among the vaccinated that aren't being tested or accounted for.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by massnative71

But I can also see where the Delta variant could rear its ugly head among the unvaccinated, given all these asymptomatic cases among the vaccinated that aren't being tested or accounted for.

The risk to the still-unvaccinated is the most negative takeaway (in my opinion) based on the information we have available. If vaccinated individuals are carrying the virus (especially variants like the Delta) in any sort of numbers, we might see some rough flareups among the unvaccinated as a result.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Come on, man. You have to be able to see how neither of these two points reflect the health of the city as a whole.

It's "dead" in that it has relatively stagnant population growth in spite of overall growth in the state and region. It's had 30+ year decline in the number of people employed, 30+ years of increasing unemployment, and a net loss of major employers. 4 colleges mean very little to Springfield's education according to the data - about 12% of the population holds a bachelors degree. It's among the lowest in MA for the percentage of the population with a high school diploma, and it has one of the highest dropout rates in the state. The 4 colleges largely serve a population that gets a degree and moves on. That's why it's "uneducated."

It isn't losing population anymore. It gained a few thousand people over in the past few years. hartford lost 1% since the pandemic but I don't hear that really being screamed from the rafters.

If you mean the labor participation rate to be frank demographics can change that as there is aging. Increasing unemployment is odd since it kept dropping.

Massachusetts unemployment rate currently is 6.5%
https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

Springfield is what 20%? Nope..15? nope...10? nope
6.9%
https://www.bls.gov/regions/new-engl...ngfield_mn.htm

Not really that much higher all things being said. Trendlines follow national and state. Federal reserve information shows this
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SPRI125URN

Per capital personal income is about $54,000
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SPRI125PCPI

Here's a tinyurl to state date of 30 years to see if what you say is correct..and it isn't.

https://tinyurl.com/y3vy4yew


Labor Force Working Unemployed Springfield rate Mass rate
April 1991 356,782 329,452 27,330 7.7 8.4
April 2021 363,436 338,534 24,902 6.9 5.9

Labor force shrank by 1.9%. Yes Springfield had a lower than state average back then. Generally it's a point or so above the state.

If you honestly think a 1.9% decline in 30 years is huge it isn't. I'm sorry but your claims are invalid as there is nothing to back it up.

Loss of what major employers? The armory? Well yeah that closed in the 1960's, that's a memory now

MGM Came in. yeah they promised 3,000 jobs and it was 2,000 and pandemic made it go to 1,000 but they are rehiring.

Mass mutual hiring more 1,500. They moved jobs out of CT to Mass
https://www.masslive.com/business-ne...smutual_2.html

white lion finally opening the tap room this weekend and there's a new juice store (second in the downtown) that opened last month. The Walburgers opened and the movie theater reopened.

CRRC Rail factory is in the city. Smith and Wesson(1,500), Baystate Medical (7,300), Mercy medical (4,200), Shriners, Big Y (5,600), Mass Mutual (7,000), Peter Pan Bus, CHD (1,500), TD Bank (575)

Then add in the hotels, academia, distribution and it all adds up. As for degrees that's the point. Look if you want to actually stand out with a degree why are you going to places where more people have degrees? High school graduation has gone up and is beyond Boston Public Schools and yet you don't slam Boston.. For someone making alot of claims you certainly don't back it up with actual empiracal evidence. I get it man I do. there is some poverty in the area. But seeing a few people that are poor doesn't make the whole area poor. That's like saying Mass and Cass is indicative of all of the city of boston. I lived in the downtown for five years. No one robbed me or threatened me. Sure some bums might ask for change but that dropped significantly after mgm opened up and more lighting was put up. Are there some empty buildings and lots? Yes. Is there redevelopment? Absolutely. it isnt just one group doing it but gradually the city filled up. Pope Francis high was rebuilt, Union station opened, PVTA has a new HQ.

Is the place was as bad as what you are implying why would anything be going on? Look for yourself
https://springfielddowntown.com/

18% have a bachelors degree not 12% but thanks for trying. You have to consider the higher amount of manufacturing along with the military bases provided some opportunity in lieu of academia. You might not understand this if you have never toured a factory or known people in the military. This extends to western CT as well.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fa...s,US/PST045219

The vast majority of all students get a degree and move on. I know because I graduated and group up in eastern Mass. All I need to do is go on Facebook or Linkedin and I see where people went, it isn't that hard. A old friend of mine went to BC and is now a doctor...at John Hopkins. Why bother to struggle if you can get cheaper housing somewhere else for the same rate of pay?