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Positive COVID Recovery Signs Mixed with Dire Housing News

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Some qualified good news this week for Massachusetts as hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to decline. While the U.S. surpassed the rest of the world with more than 2.5 million cases and more than 125,000 deaths, the three-day average of coronavirus daily deaths in Mass. dropped from 161 at the start of May to only 23 last week.

According to research data from COVID Act Now, Massachusetts is one of four states on track to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Other Northeastern states, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are also among the top four. New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island have been classified as “controlled disease growth.” 

The fact that 1,295 of the state’s roughly 2,000 ICU beds are currently available is a very positive development.

According to the report, the state’s 2,500 contact tracers have been a major contributor in the fight against the virus. “When this level of tracing is coupled with widely available testing, COVID can be contained without restoring lockdowns,” researchers wrote.

Researchers looked at factors including infection rate, positive test rate, available ICU capacity, and contact tracing. 

Governor Charlie Baker had this to say on Tuesday: 

“We’re obviously encouraged by the continued progress we’ve made on many of those public health metrics and we’re going to continue to monitor them. We do believe part of the reason we’ve been successful so far with our reopening strategy is due to the work and the efforts of everybody here in the Commonwealth… Please continue to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and good hygiene.”

Here are some quick statistics on coronavirus in Mass. according to a report by the Boston Herald:

  • There have so far been 108,667 confirmed cases.

  • More than 90,000 patients have recovered.

  • Coronavirus hospitalizations went down by 21 patients, bringing the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization total to 748. 

  • Statewide hospitalization total has declined by 2,814 since May 5.

  • As of Sunday, there were 134 patients in the ICU.

  • The peak of Massachusetts hospitalizations was 3,965 on April 21. 

  • The three-day average of hospitalizations fell from 3,707 on May 1 to 769.

  • So far the state has tested more than one million residents. 

  • The seven-day weighted average of positive tests has declined from 16.6 percent on May 1 to 2 percent last week.

  • Middlesex County has the most confirmed cases in Massachusetts with 23,915 cases.

  • Suffolk County has the second-highest number of cases with 19,795 cases.

  • 23,399 residents and health care workers at long-term care facilities have contracted the virus.

  • 5,086 of the state’s 8,060 total coronavirus deaths are connected to long-term care facilities.

  • More than 62 percent of COVID-19 victims have been people over 80 years of age, with about 32 percent being in their 60's and 70's, and just over five percent under 60 years of age.

Thousands of Residents Face Potential Evictions

While the coronavirus data in Mass continue to build enthusiasm, not all of the state’s residents are feeling so optimistic. Many communities are facing a surge of evictions. 

Enhanced unemployment benefits and a ban on evictions during the pandemic have helped many renters keep up with payments, however, unless they are renewed those protections will be ending soon putting more than 120,000 households in the state at risk of eviction.

Lisa Owens, executive director of tenants’ rights group City Life/Vida Urbana, says the “situation is looking really dire” and that the state is facing what could be “dramatic levels of homelessness, and neighborhood and citywide instability.”

A disproportionate number of those facing eviction are in black or Latino communities according to a study by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council which claims that the rate of eviction filings in non-subsidized apartments in Roxbury is seven times greater than in Allston/Brighton. “Nearly 90 percent of Roxbury residents are people of color, while Allston/Brighton is 62 percent white,” according to a report in the Boston Globe. 

The Globe’s extensive report includes this ominous statistic:

“Boston infamously has a racial wealth gap that can almost seem like a typo: a median net worth of $247,500 for white households and $8 for Black ones.” 

Rep. Pressley & Sen. Markey Seek to Eliminate Public Transit Fares

The two Massachusetts Democrats, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Ed Markey introduced a bill Friday that could eliminate public transportation fees in the Bay State and across the country.

If passed, the bill would create a $5 billion grant program that would not only eliminate fares, but also invest in increased transit access in historically underserved communities. 

Rep. Pressley had this to say in a statement last week:

“Our public transit systems are meant to provide communities with the mobility and freedom to access critical services, but far too many in the Massachusetts 7th and across the country lack reliable, safe, and affordable transit service. By supporting state and local efforts to implement fare-free public transit systems, we can provide low-income workers and families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities with improved access to jobs, education, and medical care, all while simultaneously reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.” 

Pressley and two-dozen other Democrats also recently sent a letter to House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi calling for a $250 billion fund to support hard-hit public transportation agencies.

The proposed legislation calls for five-year grants to be awarded to municipal, county, and state governments based on their plans to implement fare-free transit. 

Gov. Baker Unveils $275 Million COVID-19 Economic Relief Package 

Mass. Governor Charlie Baker’s administration has announced a $275 million COVID-19 economic recovery package designed to stimulate economic growth in Massachusetts, particularly among underserved communities. The move updates legislation originally filed on March 4, 2020, titled the Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth developed prior to the pandemic.

The package covers three core areas: housing, community development, and business competitiveness, according to the report in Boston Real Estate Times. 

Gov. Baker had this to say in a statement:

“By funding more affordable housing, implementing critical zoning reform, stabilizing neighborhoods, and supporting minority-owned businesses with record levels of funding, these proposed changes will bring critical relief and promote equity across Massachusetts amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature to advance this legislation and give communities, especially those most in need, the tools and support they require to move forward.”

The package proposes to:

  • Amend the scope of several proposed programs, to target funding towards specific communities including those hardest hit by COVID-19

  • Reallocate funding among proposed authorizations, to better address the significant economic impacts of COVID-19 and to help provide a path for recovery, particularly for those most devastated by the pandemic

  • Establish new tools to promote equity and drive economic growth in communities and among businesses facing barriers to entry in areas like state contracting

Cannabis Sales “Lukewarm” in First Week of Reopening

MJBizDaily reports that sales during the first week of reopening of cannabis shops in the Bay State have been “lukewarm” with dispensaries in the state generating $13.6 million for the week of May 25. 

However, the report also states that the figure is up about 60 percent from the same week in 2019. And through the first 12 weeks of 2020, adult-use sales were up by an average of 200% from the previous year.

According to the cannabis industry news source, Massachusetts is “the only state on the East Coast with an operational adult-use industry, which means it generates a significant portion of revenue from out-of-state visitors and tourists,” and “the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic fallout have put a stop to most recreational travel, likely a key driver of why sales are softer than what would typically be expected.”

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