May 5, 2021
BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) Last week, Governor Charlie Baker eased mask restrictions outdoors statewide, but the town of Brookline said not so fast.
On Wednesday, Brookline will consider revisiting their decision to uphold its outdoor mask mandate during an emergency meeting.
Town Officials decided not to lift its order, despite the governor s decision. “Out of an abundance of caution and in our residents’ best interests, the Town of Brookline will not follow suit with the state’s decision to lift the outdoor mask mandate today,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Swannie Jett, last week.
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The state s new guidance went into effect on Friday and under these guidelines, masks are only required outside in public when social distancing isn t possible, and other times based on sector-specific guidance.
Video: Brookline official on why the town has kept its outdoor mask mandate boston.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from boston.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
NYC Public Schools will have remote learning instead of snow days next school year
From CNN s Elizabeth Stuart
School buses are covered in snow during a snowstorm on February 1 in Brooklyn, New York. Wong Maye-E/AP
So long, snow days! New York City Public Schools released its calendar for the 2021-22 school year on Tuesday, and with it came an announcement that instead of school being canceled for snow days, they will shift students to remote learning on those days. The DOE will shift all students to remote instruction in lieu of cancelling schools due to severe weather conditions, a statement from the NYC Department of Education said.
Just days after Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced a relaxation of mask requirements, Brookline, a town just outside of Boston, doubled down on its more restrictive mask mandate.
AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
This isn’t science, Jonathan Last notes correctly. It’s the blue-state version of the COVID culture war.
With a dash of pandemic-era neuroticism about safety and security thrown in.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a moderate Republican, lifted the state’s outdoor mask mandate last week in accordance with the CDC’s new guidance. Whether you’re vaccinated or not, the agency said, it’s fine to take off your mask outside so long as you keep your distance from strangers. Baker signed off on that, at which point local leaders in Brookline said: No thanks. “Out of an abundance of caution and in our residents’ best interests, the Town of Brookline will not follow suit with the state’s decision to lift the outdoor mask mandate today,” the town’s top health official said. “Our face covering requirement has served as a protective layer that limits the possibility of spreading COVID-19 and we are reluctant to relax it at this time without fur