Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: home, schools, restaurant)

[msRB311]

well if schools shut down then companies should allow the parents to not work until the schools open again. How's that?

[BostonMike7]

Even our wastewater shows cases are on a slow trend up

MWRA - Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking

Originally Posted by msRB311

well if schools shut down then companies should allow the parents to not work until the schools open again. How's that?

You mean an Unpaid Leave of Absence? That is an option for some.

[msRB311]

No because not everyone will choose the unpaid leave of absence and those who do will look weak. Companies should man up and encourage parents to do a leave of absence if schools close but they won't.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

well if schools shut down then companies should allow the parents to not work until the schools open again. How's that?

This is a public health emergency. Again, I'm sorry that you're inconvenienced. We all are. Some more than others...I get that, but what other option is there?

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

No because not everyone will choose the unpaid leave of absence and those who do will look weak. Companies should man up and encourage parents to do a leave of absence if schools close but they won't.

During a public health emergency, you do what you need to do. If you have a job, you're doing better than a lot of people. Adjust.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I'm sorry if that inconveniences you but there is no other option.

Originally Posted by porterhouse

How much time do you spend on social media? You certainly do seem to have some echo chamber/algorithm driven ideas about things. I mean just look at the statement above, “there is no other opinion”. Really??

I said option, not opinion. Do you know of another (viable) option?

[jtolpin]

Shutting the schools will help the children avoid getting covid 19, sure. But that affects all the working parents (who now have to stay home). Not the best situation, but I suppose what other choice was there - if the % positive was rising. Was it kids getting it?

And I would guess, every town, eventually, will have to go full remote. How can you have a school that has a 0% positive rate? Every school in every town will eventually have someone that tests positive.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by msRB311

No because not everyone will choose the unpaid leave of absence and those who do will look weak. Companies should man up and encourage parents to do a leave of absence if schools close but they won't.

This is a great idea in theory, but companies need to figure out how to fairly manage the work so that those of us without kids don't get stuck with the brunt of it.

The head of my department made it clear that taking a leave is an option for parents. Now my boss is on leave for at least 3 months. Another 2 coworkers are down to part time. One more (the coworker currently in charge) is considering taking a leave. That's 3 (maybe 4) of the 7 people on my team. These aren't positions that could be filled by a temp, and while some projects can be pushed off, much of what we do is core to the operations of the organization.

It is abject hell for those of us who have stayed. I went from working 50-60 hours a week 3 weeks ago to working 80 hours for the past few weeks to manage things left behind because of the leaves. We're all salaried and, to add insult to injury, we didn't get a raise this year and benefits have been cut. All of us left behind are working to get out, though I've given up applying in my industry because I keep hearing similar tales from colleagues elsewhere.

I'm not saying that the parents are wrong for taking a step back, but companies need to have a plan to relieve those who stay. It's no-win, especially since many companies don't have the budget to fill the gaps given covid's impact on many industries. Parents can't carry all the weight, but so many companies are pushing more to those of us who do not yet have or do not plan to have children, or whose kids are older, to do more and give up our off-time.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by jtolpin

Not the best situation, but I suppose what other choice was there - if the % positive was rising. Was it kids getting it?

From a press conference, it was alluded that the main demographic responsible for the uptick was persons age 19-39, and as a result of informal small social gatherings.


That age range covers the parents of school-age children, so it can be surmised that household transmission is occurring in such cases where kids are testing positive. In other words, the kids are catching it by being in the same household as 19-39 year olds who are the primary individuals spreading it amongst themselves doing whatever it is they are doing. I don't believe there is any significant evidence of transmission occurring in school between different children however, and such closures that are occurring now are merely precautionary.


The irony here (and this is my own baseless opinion based on assumptions) is that if schools all get closed and kids are all home again, it's may be as a direct result of the actions of their parents who will now likely complain about it.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by jtolpin

Shutting the schools will help the children avoid getting covid 19, sure. But that affects all the working parents (who now have to stay home). Not the best situation, but I suppose what other choice was there - if the % positive was rising. Was it kids getting it?

And I would guess, every town, eventually, will have to go full remote. How can you have a school that has a 0% positive rate? Every school in every town will eventually have someone that tests positive.

It seems obvious (to me) that the kids are spreading it in their households and in the community. If that's not the case, then what's going on? I can't come up with any other explanation.