Chamber News

WGBH – With an end to the pandemic in sight, Gov. Charlie Baker has his eyes on shoring up the state’s housing stock and infrastructure for the post-pandemic world. Baker said the most recent round of federal funding in the American Rescue Plan Act included about $475 million dollars for rental assistance in Massachusetts, which will…

Boston Globe – After garnering national attention for its decision to pay unusually high rates to health care providers for administering COVID vaccines, Massachusetts is no longer an outlier. Governor Charlie Baker’s administration in January decided to reimburse providers about $90 for each two-dose vaccination they gave to people covered by MassHealth, the state Medicaid program for low-income…

State House News – County commissioners in parts of Massachusetts where they still exist are used to managing relatively modest budgets, using funds collected through local taxes and fees to maintain courthouses, support regional schools or to manage pensions for employees. But with $1.3 billion earmarked in the federal stimulus law for counties around the state,…

Boston Globe – Struggling renters just got more time to sort out their finances. The Biden administration has extended a ban on many evictions for another three months, just days before it was set to expire. Citing the ongoing pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control said it will continue the moratorium until the end of June.…

WGBH – There is little transmission of COVID-19 in the state’s schools, according to Gov. Charlie Baker. The Baker Administration released a report that found a 0.76 percent test positivity rate in schools throughout Massachusetts that took part in the state’s pooled testing program, which screens samples from students and staff to determine if the virus…

Boston Globe – Teenagers 16 and older should be prioritized for a coronavirus vaccine and schools should hold vaccination clinics, Boston Superintendent Brenda Cassellius told US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. “High school students are struggling,” Cassellius said. “They’re isolated.” The vaccine “would bring some normalcy to their lives.” Cassellius made her appeal during a visit with…

The Daily Press – Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced a Vaccine Equity Grant Initiative Friday that is designed to increase access and awareness among communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program — a joint effort between Janey, the Boston Public Health Commission and the Office of Health and Human Services — includes $1.5 million…

CBS Boston – Pfizer says that its COVID-19 vaccine is 100-percent effective in children ages 12 to 15. Right now their two-shot vaccine is approved for people 16 and older. But the company now hopes to expand that to ages 12 and up after preliminary results from this small study. Pfizer said 2,260 children ages 12…

Boston Globe – The universe of Massachusetts residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine dramatically expanded on Monday as appointments opened to people 55 and older and those with one qualifying health condition, which now includes anyone who qualifies as overweight. Massachusetts health officials on Friday added being overweight to the list of health conditions that allow someone to…

WGBH – On Monday, thousands of elementary students headed back to classrooms full-time, many for the first time in months. For parents and students, it’s a mixed bag of emotions — especially as coronavirus cases tick back up. Dr. Fatima Watt is the director of behavioral health services at Franciscan Children’s in Boston. She said talking…