Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Worcester: apartments, amusement park, home)

[sawyer2]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I see a return to Phase 2 coming. Anyone else?

https://www.boston.com/news/coronavi...ts-coronavirus

Quite possible but it will depend on the overall trend over the next week or two.. and even more so as colleges/schools are back to whatever extent in early September.

Not unexpected - a combination of some reopening, more travel, taking more risks etc. It's always going to be a trade off unfortunately.

(But .... I thought that the 'china virus' was 'receding' as of yesterday )

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by sawyer2

Quite possible but it will depend on the overall trend over the next week or two.. and even more so as colleges/schools are back to whatever extent in early September.

Not unexpected - a combination of some reopening, more travel, taking more risks etc. It's always going to be a trade off unfortunately.

(But .... I thought that the 'china virus' was 'receding' as of yesterday )

I think the charts show a clear correlation between the start of Phase 3, and the upward trend in case count and positivity % rate. This is all BEFORE the influx of students. My view--if Baker waits till the students return, to assess whether to go back to Phase 2, it'll get out of control quickly.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I think the charts show a clear correlation between the start of Phase 3, and the upward trend in case count and positivity % rate. This is all BEFORE the influx of students. My view--if Baker waits till the students return, to assess whether to go back to Phase 2, it'll get out of control quickly.

The alternative is to put real teeth in the penalties and enforce it like crazy. Exposed mask nose? $500. We accept smartphone photos as evidence. You can appeal but it's $1000 in non-recoverable court costs. House party? $10 grand. You don't pay? We attach your house. Renting? Automatic eviction. Minors? We go after the parents. License suspensions and bigger fines for multiple or serious offenses.



You can open most things up if everyone follows the rules. That probably includes colleges with single occupancy dorm rooms and in-person only for things that can't be done online like labs.


My rules for college students? Kegger with no masks? The college is required to expel you and you forfeit your tuition for the semester. They're required to publish names of any students they expel and it has to appear on a transcript.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

The alternative is to put real teeth in the penalties and enforce it like crazy. Exposed mask nose? $500. We accept smartphone photos as evidence. You can appeal but it's $1000 in non-recoverable court costs. House party? $10 grand. You don't pay? We attach your house. Renting? Automatic eviction. Minors? We go after the parents. License suspensions and bigger fines for multiple or serious offenses.



You can open most things up if everyone follows the rules. That probably includes colleges with single occupancy dorm rooms and in-person only for things that can't be done online like labs.


My rules for college students? Kegger with no masks? The college is required to expel you and you forfeit your tuition for the semester. They're required to publish names of any students they expel and it has to appear on a transcript.

Agree in theory but what you're proposing will be more porous, far more unpopular, and require enforcement resources that we currently don't have. Plus gyms & indoor dining, which could be at least partly to blame, would remain open. Go back to Phase 2--we've got a couple of months (easily) of outdoor dining weather left.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Agree in theory but what you're proposing will be more porous, far more unpopular, and require enforcement resources that we currently don't have. Plus gyms & indoor dining, which could be at least partly to blame, would remain open. Go back to Phase 2--we've got a couple of months (easily) of outdoor dining weather left.

I don't know. I'm on board with $1 Billion+ fines for the mask hanging down under the nose.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I don't know. I'm on board with $1 Billion+ fines for the mask hanging down under the nose.

LOL...and to think they call him "Dictator Baker" now! Just wait...

[BostonMike7]

Technically, in order to meet the 14-day quarantine for persons coming in from out of state, those students should be coming into town in the next week? I seriously doubt many are actually doing this.

With Sept 1 being a big move-in day, can see plenty of kids moving in that day, getting affairs in order and showing up to class the next day or so. Of course that assumes they don't get the neg test 3-days prior.

I actually know of several people who were out of state in PA or other locations deemed "high-risk" who came back on Sun AUg 2nd, and then went to work like nothing happened on Monday.

That whole travel ban/quarantine rule has no teeth.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I don't know. I'm on board with $1 Billion+ fines for the mask hanging down under the nose.

$1 billion fine plus a public spanking.


I'm curious what Massachusetts is going to do about Rhode Island. According to the Massachusetts metrics, Rhode Island is no longer a "safe state". Connecticut just put Rhode Island on the persona non grata list as did New York. I imagine there are an awful lot of central Mass people who use Rhode Island beaches. I wouldn't think most people would risk a $7,000 fine to go to the beach from Massachusetts.

[id77]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

Technically, in order to meet the 14-day quarantine for persons coming in from out of state, those students should be coming into town in the next week? I seriously doubt many are actually doing this.

With Sept 1 being a big move-in day, can see plenty of kids moving in that day, getting affairs in order and showing up to class the next day or so. Of course that assumes they don't get the neg test 3-days prior.

I actually know of several people who were out of state in PA or other locations deemed "high-risk" who came back on Sun AUg 2nd, and then went to work like nothing happened on Monday.

That whole travel ban/quarantine rule has no teeth.

Never had. I passed through international arrivals after the travel ban in March and Heathrow was more concerned about me moving about the US than Logan was.

[Bridge781]

I don’t think it takes a harvard scientist to figure out that with things happening now and students returning to Boston from all over the globe that there will be a spike. It’s not a matter of if it’s when.