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Baker asks people coming into Massachusetts to self quarantine; says state likely won't be resurrected by Easter
By adamg on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 11:47am
At his daily press conference this morning, Gov. Baker urged people from away to stop coming here, but that if they do, to promptly put themselves away for at least 14 days - especially if they have symptoms.
Baker also said he's not expecting an Easter resurrection for businesses, as proclaimed by the Leader of the Free World, at least not in Massachusetts. Based on the advice he's getting from doctors and other actual experts, "we're not going to be up and running by Easter, no," he said.
Baker said signs on highways entering the state would have message boards alerting incoming travelers about the self-quarantine request and that people getting off trains and planes in the state would receive fliers about the issue.
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Comments
The borders of NY need to be
The borders of NY need to be closed, otherwise traditional vacation area permanent residents will be put at further risk. Cape Cod, the islands, NH, ME etc.
No.
Logistically impossible and the counties in NY which border MA don't have many cases anyway. (38 and 18)
Not MA borders, NY borders.
Not MA borders, NY borders.
NYC which has a whole ton of wealthy residents with vacation homes in Maine, NH, and MA has a whole lot of cases. Those areas are ill equipped to deal with an outbreak, but are well equipped to isolate themselves. Introduce NYC residents and that capacity to effectively isolate is reduced.
ahh ok.
Still think that is impossible. Too many people still work in NY that live in other states. I hear ya though.
It's really not that hard set
It's really not that hard set em up at 90-93 all the main roads that have choke points, if you have out of state plates you get temperature checked , no it's and or buts, if you have more than one person with mass plates everyone gets checked, make the staties do something instead of nothin during details
There are about 50 crossings.....
on the west side of Springfield alone. It's not happening.
Plus
Brookline has been trying for the past 50 years to close the border with Allston and it hasn't worked for them. No reason to think it would work with New York.
To close the border
they'd have to find it first.
I doubt we have the legal
I doubt we have the legal authority to do it at the state level anyways. The Commerce Clause gives the Federal government the power to regulate such matters.
MA has of course no power to
MA has of course no power to close the NY borders, not the MA border with NY an important distinction.
The federal government however absolutely has such authority.
Ever hear of the 4th Amendment?
Also, ever look at a map? NYC is the small area in the lower corner. Shutting all the border is impossible AND would mean moving so many people around as to create a much larger hazard where there currently may be less of one.
The federal government has a
The federal government has a massive amount of leeway and power to prevent outbreaks. Sealing NY protects vulnerable regions of MA and other states.
Any wealthy New Yorkers have
Any wealthy New Yorkers have long since fled to their favorite New England quiet spot and are now doing panic shopping at the rural shops alongside everybody else. These kinds of measures are far too late -- if this was going to be done, it should've been done in February.
Actually, even then was probably too late, at that point this was far beyond saturation point and quarantines would be ineffective to stop it. Nobody's testing so we don't actually know where we are in the outbreak. Most likely the vast majority of NE has been exposed to it/has been infected, but had no real issues that would require hospitalization. Would also mean that the death rate is lower than expected, and that a lot of those "mysterious" influenza deaths from the winter were actually a strain of COVID.
We're not going to know unless we implement sentinel testing and antibody testing. Without that all numbers are meaningless.
They started arriving on the
They started arriving on the Cape over a week ago.
Rhode Island SP authorized to stop cars with NY plates
They're trying to get incoming NYers to self-quarantine for 2 weeks. The ACLU says it's unconstitutional.
Also highly irrational
Anyone who thinks cops are an answer to a pandemic is delusional or just flat out stupid.
Yeah, lets have a group of people become exposed to a lot of people! Lets have them physically handle high risk people! Then go door to door!
Right. That will end well.
Think for a second...
... snowbirds.
Mmm and FL left all those beaches open for spring break mmm yeah good times...
This is absurd
There is neither the legal justification nor the practical means to implement such a "border" closure. I see a lot of mickey mouse pissant big frogs in small ponds blustering about how they're going to keep out "hotspot" residents, all grabbing their 15 minutes of fame, and it's among the most nakedly performative reaction going to this crisis. Stop playing for the cameras and start looking for practical solutions.
The "hot spot" delusion
Make them a deal: they cannot send anyone into the hospitals in the big cities if they want to play this game.
See how long that lasts.
The reality is that what appear to be "hot spots" are actually places where population is higher, and where infections are diagnosed - not necessarily where the INCIDENCE is higher.
When this all started
Everyone was so cavalier about it, encouraging people to go out and shop or visit your favorite restaurant, it was bad advice from pandering politicians and their chums in the Media.
I hope it isnt too late for all these precautions now.
Things happen fast sometimes
When officials were urging people NOT to avoid Chinatown, there was exactly one case in Boston - a person who'd just returned from Wuhan to his home in, oh, let's see here, Dorchester.
The issue wasn't that people supporting Chinatown restaurants were being stupid, because they weren't, the issue was that other people were being racist because at that point, there was no more risk to walking through Chinatown than any other neighborhood (and, in fact, there probably still isn't any more risk to walking through Chinatown than anywhere else, not that that's saying much anymore). Not racist? Where were all the calls to stay out of the North End after cases begin spreading through Italy, in the Before Times, when we were all still carefree?
One can rationalize this
One can rationalize this deadly mistake all one wants, but the fact that organizing communal dining event for 400 in the midst of a pandemic borders on criminal negligence, irrespective of how many cases had been confirmed by nontesting.
You see racism in a lot of things it seems.
Since you brought up Chinatown, people who live and work in Chinatown were being cautious as well,I'm sure it wasnt because of racism.
They were also telling us to go out and enjoy ourselves and not to be afraid....not just in Chinatown. I know hindsight is 20/20 but it's just my observation.
I only recall most media and
I only recall most media and the city asking people to be cautious, wash hands, socially distance, etc. The president and Fox News, though, were certainly pushing everyone to not be afraid of it and to be business as usually, since it was just a hoax and nothing more than a little cold.
These people see racism
These people see racism everywhere they look.
I wonder how many people in Boston stopped dining in
the North End once the crisis hit Italy the way they deserted Chinatown after Wuhan blew up. My observations are only anecdotal, but there was a huge difference there that I find hard to explain other than prejudice on one hand, none on the other.
Maybe
Maybe that's because our country was literally founded on racism, and it didn't magically evaporate when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. One of our major political parties has been literally campaigning on racism for the last 40 years and you're surprised that some people notice how deeply embedded it is in American society?
Founded on racism? I thought
Founded on racism? I thought this country was founded by people escaping religious persecution. Where do you people come up with this crap?
Too bad you're too busy to read up on American history
But you might want to take some time to read up on those people "escaping religious persecution," like the Puritans, who, in fact, fought a bloody civil war to remake England in their theocratic image even as they were executing and expelling people who didn't share their religious beliefs here in New England (look up Mary Dyer, Goody Glover and Anne Hutchinson).
News flash: white guy thinks racism over
More at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or as many times as he has to say it so that he doesn't have to change any of his own beliefs or behavior.
Who is the "white guy"
You are referring to?
Given my understanding of how
thread nesting in online discussion boards works, I'd venture to guess they're talking directly about Murkin, less directly but clearly about you, too, as you both said or implied that seeing racism here was misguided.
Thanks MC Slim JB
Hmmm...So saying something is misguided makes you white (and a man) ....how racist to assumes someones race (and gender) based on an opinion.
Oh well
Clearly, they're not merely
saying that asserting something is misguided (as in "asserting anything is misguided") makes you a white and a man. What I believe they are suggesting is that your and Murkin's comments smell like a dismissal of the existence of racism in the current crisis, which I agree is a kind of tacit racism itself.
Again, I'll point to the fact that white Bostonians deserted Chinatown but not North End restaurants until forced to. Why do you imagine that's so?
With apologies to Damon Runyon, "The overt racism in America is not always to the white, nor the soft bigotry to the male, but that's the way to bet." That opinion is only anecdotal, but at least I will candidly admit to being a white guy myself.
Maybe you have a right to feel unfairly presumed to be a white dude. If so, please correct the record: I'll be first in line to apologize.
Maybe you should open your eyes
Maybe you should open your eyes
That was one KNOWN case at
That was one KNOWN case at that point, probably there were also many not-known ones, and the existence of not-known but possible infections is the whole point of why we’re asking people to socially distance now, even if they don’t have a known case.
Yes, I blame the media
The reason many people were so cavalier about it, myself included I'm sorry to say, was that the media so consistently makes a big deal out of everything that it seemed like just one more big nothing. Definitely a case of "the boy who cried wolf". How many times have we heard about massive, horrendous snowstorms when it's in reality little more than a flurry occurs? I honestly thought that in a week or two at most the news cycle would move on to something else because that is the consistent pattern of misleading news these days. They do nobody any favors with this approach.
No! Everone was not cavalier
No! Everone was not cavalier about it. If you have loved ones who have compromised immune systems you already knew to be exceedingly careful about the flu, other viruses and the like, in addition to this hideous virus, AND you were already not visiting with these loved ones when the pandemic hit other countries and was quite clearly here already despite doctors being forbidden to administer tests. Listen to doctors and scientists not anti-science politicians and Fox News!
It is
The vast majority of new cases are not getting tested and do not go into the 'reported numbers'.
What "everyone"
Who exactly did this? Because I didn't see it. I've been seeing one message for over two weeks now.
OK, Not everyone
Many were, this site for one as well as local media
links please
links please
The only one playing that game that I've seen is a certain psycopathic bloviate with a fondness for spray tan.
Ah, I see
All those Biogen employees went for dim sum and exposed themselves to Chinese.
It wasn't the conference in Boston, after all?
Hmmm.
Thanks, Charlie
Gov. Baker proves once again that there is still intelligent life in the Republican Party.
I'm surprised he's still in it.
It would not surprise me at all if he went independent. His party is treating him like crap.
Rhode Island calls out the National Guard in war on New Yorkers
While we're asking politely, Rhode Island's governor has directed its National Guard to look for New Yorkers at borders and bus and train stations:
Anybody walking too fast or
Anybody walking too fast or saying "Hurry it up, pal, I've got places to be" will be placed in custody immediately.
absolutely ridiculous and
unenforceable!
Raimondo is a raving lunatic
She is completely ignoring the advice of her health department in favor of attempting to use cops against a global pandemic.
What she is really doing: exposing cops to a lot of people and sending exposed cops door to door to spread the pandemic in search of boogyorkers.
We all know from the opioid epidemic how effective cops are for epidemics ... and viruses don't give a shit who you think you are.
Ohhhh, now
you guys want the wall!
Kidding aside, it is simply too late. Unless the weather impacts the spread significantly don't expect this to slow anytime soon. Hot and humid *should* help at least somewhat. Come on global warming! ;)
Interesting
Citations for hot and humid? Didn't seem to help Florida much.
Truckers
Do truckers have to self quarantine? Or is anyone checking the temperature of truckers coming into the state?
MBTA still runs daily trains to Rhode Island
Providence Line
as well as other trains to place like Haverhill and Newburyport whose parking lots attract significant traffic from New Hampshire.
Are we going to quarantine everyone who takes these trains, as well as the many regional buses from New Hampshire and Maine?
Looks like an airline worker
Looks like an airline worker caught it in Boston and brought it to NH.
https://whdh.com/news/concord-coach-lines-suspending-service-after-passe...
As of a few minutes ago,
As of a few minutes ago, Amtrak is still offering to sell tickets from New York City to Boston. I believe Baker's plan is to have people hand out pamphlets to anyone who gets off the train in Massachusetts.
I hope that works: the typical New Yorker reaction to someone stopping them to offer "something to read," or campaign literature, or useful pamphlets is to walk past without making eye contact.
To even be sure of talking to everyone getting off those trains, they'd need to station police or other guards at the end of each South Station platform, the exits from Back Bay station, and so on.
Maybe Charlie can get Amtrak to make announcements over the PA on trains coming from New York.
Resurrected by Easter
I see what you did there.
What about NH/RI/ME/VT. residents...
who work in Massachusetts, including health care workers and vice-versa? This edict doesn't seem enforceable.
Also,
does this mean no more trips to NH Liquor store for us Mass. residents?