COVID-19

Sen. Brownsberger: After Re-opening, Efforts Must Continue to Stop the Spread of COVID-19

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

The following piece was written by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston. When we begin to reopen, whenever that occurs, we will all need to accept continued personal responsibility for controlling the spread of COVID-19. 

Governor Baker faces difficult judgment calls about the pacing of reopening.  Without expressing an opinion on the particulars of his judgment calls, he is taking fundamentally the right approach – namely, an incremental and data-driven approach.  

For all the reasons that we had to shut down, the potential consequences of re-opening too fast are unacceptable.  Given the risk of a catastrophic second surge, the only safe way to proceed is incrementally.  We will want to open in phases and evaluate the disease statistics daily for any early indication of an upswing. 

As we slowly reopen while the virus is still at large in the community, it will be more important than ever to do the basic things that all the public health professionals tell us will reduce the rate of transmission:  Wear masks, don’t touch our faces, wash our hands frequently and especially after making contact with high touch surfaces, stay home when we feel sick, work from home whenever we can, maintain physical distance from each other. 

Some businesses and employers will need to change their operations to support more distancing.  If the conclusion is that people have to come in, can they come in on some kind of shift system?  Does everyone need to come together at the same time? 

The Governor  bears primary responsibility for pacing the reopening, but it will be on all of us to take the personal precautions that will make the reopening work.  People managing the work of others will bear special responsibility for protecting their employees.  Customer-facing business managers will bear special responsibility for protecting their customers.

Letters

LETTER: Full Time Forestry Supervisor Key to Protecting Watertown’s Tree Canopy

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On behalf of Trees for Watertown, I want to publicly thank our DPW, and in particular Bob DiRico — who is Acting Forestry Supervisor on top of his already-full-time job as Supervisor of Parks and Cemeteries — for the care they’re taking of our town trees during this extended period both without a full-time Forestry Supervisor/Tree Warden and now with reduced DPW staffing because of the pandemic. As we all know we had a very severe windstorm yesterday. Watertown’s tree canopy took a real beating. Our DPW did a tremendous job responding to this. Bob DiRico and his support team were up until 11:30 last night working on clearing the worst of the damage and already were at it again early this morning.

Department of Public Works

LETTER: Residents Thankful for Quick Response by Public Works Employees

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A Watertown Department of Public Works snow plow. To the Editor:

We are writing to thank the Watertown Public Works Department, and to commend two of its workers for the outstanding service they recently provided to us. On Sunday, March 22 our sewer line became blocked. We attempted to unclog it with no success. About 6:30 p.m. we called the DPW to see if it would be possible for someone to come by the next morning.

Around Town

OP-ED: Cancel It if You Can – Taking Responsibility for Controlling the Pandemic

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

Will Brownsberger is the State Senator for Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston:

The pandemic will eventually touch many of us. What matters most is the speed of the pandemic. If the virus spreads too fast and too many of us are sick at the same time, we will overwhelm the health care system. People may not be able to get the care they need – for the virus or for any other health problem.  That’s what is starting to happen now in Italy. Doctors are discussing how to make brutal triage decisions effectively condemning weaker patients to die. We need to slow the virus down and since none of us are immune and there is no vaccine yet, we have only one way to protect our community:  To reduce unnecessary contact.

Infratstructure

OP-ED: Democratic Presidential Candidates — Talk about the Elephant in the Room

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A lot of money was raised and spent on the 2015 Watertown Election. Seven-hundred and thirty billion dollars is an enormous sum, but that is the amount needed to restore America’s infrastructure – to repair our bridges, renew roads and sidewalks, expand transit systems, mitigate the effects of the climate crisis, and much more. And it is the sum that Democrats in the House of Representatives are proposing to allocate for renewal. (Globe, 1/30 “Democrats unveil $760b infrastructure plan”) They hope that Republicans and President Trump will join them in passing legislation to help cities and states address what everyone agrees is a national shortfall. As a City Councilor for the Town of Watertown, I can attest to the need for federal help in funding infrastructure improvements.

Around Town

LETTER: Standing Up For Immigrants

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“We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and in justice, equity, and compassion for all.”

So reads a large banner recently placed on the front lawn of the First Parish of Watertown. The banner is the centerpiece of a larger display of statements on smaller signs affirming the central role immigrants have played in the history of this country, and the deplorable conditions that they are now facing at our border with Mexico. As the signs confirm, President Kennedy once said “Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.” Yet “Since 2018, at least 7 children have died in U.S. immigration custody, after 10 years in which no child reportedly died in U.S. Customs and Border Patrol custody.”

Another smaller sign tells us that according to Dr. Julie Linton, Co-chair of the Immigration Health Special Interest Group of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Detention facilities are basically concrete floors with mats and barbed wire fencing and bright lights 24/7.”

The display calls public attention to the harsh and inhumane treatment thousands of immigrants have received at the Mexican border, and seeks to rally widespread support for immigration reform. It also aims to reassure immigrants in Watertown that they are welcome, respected, and valued in this community, in keeping with the words of U Thant, third Secretary General of the United Nations, who said “Every human being of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must respect others even as we respect ourselves.”

Near the end of the row of signs, a statement by Dina Nyeri reminds us that “It is the obligation of every person born in a safer room to open the door when someone in danger knocks.” The very last sign poses the challenge “What will you do?” A handout of positive actions everyone can take to support immigrants is available in a box next to this sign.

Around Town

OP-ED: Looking at Gov. Baker’s Temporary Ban on Vaping

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The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, D – Belmont, who also represents Watertown and parts of Boston. On Sept. 24, Governor Baker declared a public health emergency and temporary ban on the sale of all vaping products in response to a multi-state outbreak of unexplained lung illnesses associated with vaping. In effect until Jan. 25, the ban seeks to provide medical experts time to properly investigate the dangers associated with the use of electronic nicotine and marijuana products, which will assist the state in developing a response that could include new legislation or Department of Public Health (DPH) regulations.

Around Town

LETTER: Why Local Group Still Hosts Vigil for Hiroshima, Nagasaki

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Candleboats float on the Charles River in Watertown in memory of those who died in the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The following information was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment. Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki 

Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019

7:30 PM – Silent Vigil – Watertown Square

8:00 PM – Music and Testimonials

8:30 PM – Launching of the Candle Boats – Watertown Dock

NEVER AGAIN – NO MORE HIROSHIMA and NAGASAKI –

NO MORE VICTIMS – ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS

“Why do we stand in silence and float candle boats”? To remember the more than 210,000 killed, and the many more injured, by the U.S. nuclear attack on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 in 1945.