Omicron Variant Updates
According to the CDC’s Omicron tracker, the variant has so far caused infections in 23 states, including Massachusetts. The quick emergence has health officials urging residents yet again to get fully vaccinated.
Global Eyes on the Omicron Variant
The emergence of the Omicron variant, a new strain of COVID-19, has the world on edge as health care organizations monitor its spread. The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE), gathered on Thanksgiving to assess variant B.1.1.529, otherwise known as Omicron. Omicron, which was first confirmed in South Africa on November 24, has increased its spread throughout the country and others, including Denmark, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Botswana, Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, France, and […]
Pediatric Vaccines Approved
Last month, following FDA approval, the CDC officially endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, expanding the eligible population and opening doors for families to become fully vaccinated. After the rise of the Delta variant over the summer, cases found in children surged, resulting in hospitalizations, deaths, and longer-term side effects in some patients, even after they were cleared. Various state-sponsored, pharmacy, and healthcare locations throughout the city have responded to the newly appointed eligibility, opening children’s vaccination […]
Michelle Wu’s First Cabinet Appointments
New mayor Michelle Wu announced her first cabinet appointments in early November, ahead of her swearing-in ceremony, along with the key players in her transition team as she settles into office. The appointment with the largest spotlight is that of her senior advisor regarding the Mass and Cass public health crisis, Dr. Monica Bharel. Bharel is the former commissioner of the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health (DPH), and will be leading the efforts to help alleviate the ongoing homelessness, substance […]
Assembling Chinatown’s History
Place of Assembly is a public art installation by local architect Ang Li, located at 8-12 Hudson street, right in the heart of Chinatown. The interactive display features various stoop-like structures, open for visitors to hang out and sit on, all assembled with repurposed bricks from demolished row homes. Guests from all over Boston came to gather during its November 6th unveiling, hosted by the Asian Community Development Corporation. Li aspired to help preserve and share the neighborhood’s history with […]
Winter Utility Prices Set to Soar
This winter, natural gas prices will force a nationwide uptick in utility bills, and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has begun launching a large-scale campaign to keep residents of the Commonwealth informed.
Protecting Your Child Tax Credit
Within the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, a federal program supplying economic relief to those impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, is the additional Child Tax Credit program. The Child Tax Credit is a payment received by working families that qualify for financial help to support their children. Thanks to the ARP, it is the highest child tax credit in American history, with thousands of families automatically receiving payment already. By July of this year, most saw their money rolling in […]
MARA Launch Sees Success
“We’re excited to launch a partnership with [MARA] and [MRA] solely to help Chinese restaurants,” said MRA vice president Steve Clark.
Historic Night in Boston Elections
During a historic election night, Michelle Wu was elected as the first female and Asian American mayor of Boston. The two finalists, Wu, and her opponent, Annissa Essaibi George, were both at-large city councilors, and are both women of color, Wu being of Asian descent and Essaibi George of Tunisian descent. This is the first Boston election where both finalists identified as such. Wu won the race with 63.6% of the vote, Essaibi George conceding with 36.4%. Before the primary, […]
Action Taken at Mass and Cass
The city of Boston has officially declared homelessness and drug addiction a public health emergency in wake of the ever growing tent city at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, an area known widely as Mass and Cass. Officials plan on removing around 150 tents belonging to homeless individuals in accordance to an executive order by Acting Mayor Kim Janey, and moving the occupants into shelters and treatment centers for opioid addiction. Janey stressed that the change […]