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More Bad News Still to Come

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In what seems like an eternity, the first coronavirus case in Massachusetts was reported just six weeks ago. In just the past week the number of confirmed cases has jumped from about 9,000 to nearly 19,000 with just over 500 deaths reported so far. And the state is just starting to reach its peak, according to experts.

Mass. hospitals are preparing for the expected surge of coronavirus cases between April 10 and April 20. As we reported last week, the convention center in South Boston is being converted into a temporary field hospital to help with an overflow of patients.

According to a story by the Boston Herald, “at least 140 of the state’s more than 1,000 long-term care facilities have now reported at least one case of COVID-19… and 1,236 residents and health care workers have been sickened.” And in Wilmington, AdviniaCare reports that 77 of the 91 residents have been battling the disease and seven have died.

Although lower this week than the week prior, new unemployment claims are approaching the half-million mark since mid-March. Economists warn that the Mass. unemployment rate could hit a staggering 25 percent by June — that’s 15 percent higher than Great Depression figures.

Channel 5 has compiled a collection of COVID-19 infographics with regional demographic data related to the epidemic. 

Four Hospitals to Begin Trials of Sanofi Drug to Fight COVID-19 

The Boston Globe reports that an unspecified number of patients admitted to four Massachusetts hospitals are receiving an FDA approved rheumatoid arthritis drug in an effort to determine its efficacy in treating acute respiratory distress. The drug, Kevzara, is thought to suppress the inflammatory response in patients’ lungs. 

Participating Mass. hospitals include Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. More than 50 hospitals nationwide and about 1,000 patients are taking part in the study. Preliminary results of the trial are expected by the end of April. 

Progress on Transportation & Climate Initiative Stymied by Pandemic Response 

The economic fallout caused by plunging gas prices and social distancing measures has added uncertainty to the fate of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI).

Discussions are continuing by email, phone and video conference despite the pandemic and a final memorandum of understanding between 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, originally expected to be unveiled before summer,  might now be pushed back to the fall. 

The TCI seeks to set a cap on emissions from cars, trucks and other vehicles and require fuel suppliers to buy allowances at auction for every ton of carbon dioxide their fuel will generate beyond that cap. 

An estimated $5 billion to $7 billion in annual proceeds would go back to the states for upgrading public transit, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and other projects. 

The program was originally expected to launch in January 2022. 

Read more on this story at Energy News Network.

Massive Spike in Marijuana Patients Attributed to Shuttering of Recreational Pot Shops

Applications for Mass. medical marijuana cards have jumped substantially since the coronavirus outbreak began. WBUR reports that 1,300 new medical marijuana patients were registered in just over a week from March 23 and April 1. That’s 800 more new patients than were approved in the prior 10-day period. 

The sudden rise is attributed to the fact that the state has deemed recreational marijuana shops to be non-essential and subject to shut down during the crisis, whereas medical dispensaries have been allowed to continue to do business. 

In order to apply for a medical marijuana card in Mass. patients must first be approved by a state-certified physician. Prior to the crisis, this step had to be done in person with a visit to the doctor’s office. 

However, in order to promote social distancing, the commission has temporarily permitted the use of telehealth services allowing patients and doctors to consult via phone or video conference.

A group of adult-use dispensary operators have initiated a lawsuit claiming that Governor Charlie Baker’s decision to close down recreational cannabis operations was illegal and might endanger public health by forcing consumers into the illicit market.

Cannabis Sales Projected to Pass $1 Billion by 2024

Boulder, Colorado-based BDS Analytics, a leading cannabis industry market research company, is predicting marijuana sales in Mass. will reach $1.35 billion in 2024. Sales are expected to exceed $745 million in 2020 with $157 million in sales being reported for the first quarter of 2020, according to data from the Cannabis Control Commission. Mass. Live has more on this story.

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