COVID RAGES BUT CITY, STATE LEADERS REMAIN CLUELESS: THOUGHTS AND SAMPLINGS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MARCH 23, 2020) — With COVID raging, THE PLANET hunkers down with Ovid … and Pericles, Sir Kenneth clark, and Strat-O-Matic — what eclecticism. Reports stream into the FORTRESS, and we present today some thoughts and samplings.
BORING-ER — “Everyone here is working not for the paycheck but because we give a damn, and that’s why we do the journalism we do,” said Kevin Moran, executive editor of New England Newspapers, better known as The Boring Broadsheet, which Tuesday announced a one-week furlough of its entire staff. At a time when media find the numbers up with people hungering for information, leave it to The BB to find a way to blow it. Unless this is a money grab by its owners. Nah, couldn’t be that, could it?
SUPPLY SIDE — SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Crouse and Upstate University hospitals are preparing to add more than 1,000 beds and press retired nurses and doctors into service if need be as coronavirus cases increase. “It’s essentially wartime planning,” said Dr. Robert Corona, Upstate’s chief executive officer. “We can shift our plans on the fly.” Syracuse’s hospitals are joining their counterparts nationwide to increase beds, staffing, and ventilators to fight a pandemic that may overwhelm the health system. A couple things. Every day, multiple times, Syracuse and Onondaga County, including our former home The Post-Standard, have provided updates. We get at least a half-dozen daily updates form The Post. Meanwhile, The Boring Broadsheet has furloughed its entire staff. Second, his name actually is “Dr. Corona.”
CLEAR WATER RUNS DEEP — You can prove it in Venice, Italy. With the city and country in lockdown and no traffic on its famous canals, Venice waterways have cleaned themselves up. The water is crystal clear, a lovely blue-green, the first time in memory. It proves nature’s wisdom and shames humankind’s so-called “superiority.”
SIGNS OF SPRING — Speaking of nature, it knows the seasons and the times with mathematical intimacy. While humans hunker down in ignorance and fear, THE PLANET‘s sun-splashed walks brought the joy of life returning. The plants come alive, on time, without fail, borne on certainty that looks to us like faith. Green crocus spears, snow drops, tree buds, young dandelion plants: They have made their appearance in a nick of our time — what to them is a mere continuance of eternity. They, not local government, give me buoyancy. Local governments give me lies.
PACE, ITALIAN FOR “PEACE” — One of the blessings of this new experience has been how life has been forced to slow down. The pace has become less machine-like, more human. We win the race by running slowly. “Essere humano” goes the call: “Be human.”
BUS DOWN — A member of city hall who deals with bus transportation tells THE PLANET that while the school busses idle in the Petricca lots at rental’s full price, maintenance has been “totally ignored.” Busses, like all motor vehicles that will not be used for some time, require regular service. Engines must be run, oils and other fluids must be circulated, hulls need to be washed but Pittsfield, in its wisdom, lets the fleet rot and rust. Warnings by concerned management have been ignored by Supt. JIV, school committee chair Lady Boots, and the mayor.
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE — THE PLANET got a communication from a doctor at Berkshire Medical Center. He told of how flat-footed the facility was to handle the pandemic. The number one issue, Doc says, has been the lack of supplies: “There was no forethought, no stockpiling, even when we advised senior staff and [the administration].” Doc spoke on condition of total anonymity, saying flat out that if his or her identity was discovered, he or she would be out of a job. Even in this dire time, we asked? Yes, Doc said. Probably the best place you want to be right now if you want to catch COVID-19 is at BMC. Want to stay healthy? Don’t go near the place.
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN — Mayor Tyer and her Response Team have done a horrible job at communicating and providing leadership. Information is slow in coming, partial, inaccurate, and not to be trusted. The city council hasn’t said peep, especially council president “Pee Pee” Peter Marchetti. The school committee and Supt. JIV have been as helpful as germ-salt in an open wound. The D.A. still thinks she’s running for office. Let’s face it: Pittsfield’s “leaders” are treating Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski like trailer trash. Meanwhile, they’re all for the actual trash, the scums and bums, the hoods and hookers, the robbers and muggers, the drug dealers and welfare cheats. Someone explain that to us. Someone also explain why Tyer hasn’t ordered a “stay in place” directive. Don’t wait for the governor. Take that action now. Show the leadership you claim. Tyer: Give Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski actions, not empty words.
ECHO-NOMICS — Retail and small businesses, of course, are getting hammered. It reminds us of what our dear dad used to say. This member of The Greatest Generation and a front-line veteran in the Battle of the Bulge would say, in response to an America and its people regressing to a lower common denominator: “What this country needs is a goddamned good Depression.” He lived through the Depression. So did mom. We never tired of the stories of the hardships and the pulling together, the humility and the ingenuity of using everything and wasting nothing. Well, dad, we may get that Depression. Question is, can this current generation handle it? The jury is out.
CLOSER AND FARTHER APART — Phrase of the year: “Social distancing.” As if we needed one more excuse to take the human touch out of life. Reality had already become virtual enough, and now with contact of any sort seen as an act of treason, THE PLANET wonders about the ultimate effect. Will people come out of this more suspicious and afraid of each other? Ironically, in our daily dealings, limited as they are with trips being reduced to essentials, we notice a more polite, helpful, and giving attitude. Small consolations can be found. Passing a stranger on the empty streets during a walk, we find people more inclined to acknowledge you. We wonder, though: What will be the shape of human relations when this all ends?
DEMOCRACY AT ITS LIMITS — Have you marveled how the surveillance states and Asian culture have ben able to deal with COVID-19 much more effectively. China and South Korea have had a relatively easy time restricting human movement and clamping down on individual freedom. In the Pacific Rim, those countries have the inclination to obey authority without question. They also defer to their elders, who are wiser and more experienced. American and Western Europe have had a much harder time. They kept their economies going. We shut down outs. How smart was that? How much longer will Americans obey ever-more-stricter calls for the curtailing of individual freedom? We wonder if at some point the dam bursts, and those armed with guns and bullets will be better able to fend for themselves?
ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COUGH-IN — It’s time for government on all levels to start cracking down on the “virus partiers.” Deliberately flouting guidelines and orders puts the rest of us in jeopardy. It’s well past time for The Commonwealth to issue a “stay-in” order, as nearby states have done (CT., NY., & N.J.). Mayor Tyer must now unilaterally issued such an order in Pittsifield, which is showing an alarming ignorance of common sense. This is more proof of the brain-drain that has devastated the once-around gem of a city. The scum have flocked here. The talented have left. What’s left of the disappearing middle-class bears the burden for all. Listen up, Madame Mayor: Shut down all the “non-essentials.” Start with the skateboard park, where the little monsters are practicing a new game. It involves deliberately coughing on or near a senior citizen. It’s time to start cracking a few few empty skulls of these young dumb-asses.
FREE THE PARKERS — The mayor also needs to reel in the parking officers, who lustily go about ticketing every stray they see. In Syracuse by comparison, mayor Ben Walsh freed up every municipal space to encourage more curbside picket at struggling restaurants, make it easy to accommodate the increase in pick-up and deliveries in a number of businesses and in general not put an added burden on an already stressed public. They can park for free without worry. And what did he do with Salt City’s parking officers? They have all been reassigned to COVID-related duties. Tyer should do this with every furloughed city worker. Give them a choice: (a) Stay at home without pay or (b) If you accept pay, you have to work for it. There are tons of jobs needed to be performed across a wide range of enterprises.
DROP THE ADJECTIVE — THE PLANET is tired of the adjective “novel” before “coronavirus.” Everyone on the planet and THE PLANET know when you use the word “coronavirus,” you’re referring to COVID-19 and not any of the other strains, of which there are many. There’s nothing “novel” about this any longer.
Finally, use your head. It’s the best weapon you have in this fight. Also, follow the common sense guidelines: wash your hands, stay inside, exercise, eat healthy foods, and stay calm. Good health to you.
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“A man can do all things if he will” — Leon Battista Alberti.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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The General Electric Company has a $94 billion debt load. GE also has a negative cash flow. The Stock Market is tanking due to the Corona-Virus. I wonder if GE will survive the next recession? If GE declares bankruptcy, what would happen to the polluted Housatonic River and the planned 13 year cleanup and capping project?
My remedy for any virus or flu that I’ve ever caught is bone juice, warm water, hot beverages like tea, Drink the fluids as to send the virus to the stomach. Wash hands when coming from outside,try to avoid close contact,they say six feet. Always wash clothes after working or out for a while.
You can get a jug of the bone juice at the grocery store,it’s seven dollars. It’s bone broth called Zoup co. 32 0z jar.
The most dangerous advice I’ve seen on this to date.
The acid in your stomach will not denature the corona of the virus, in fact the lining of your stomach is ripe for helping spread the infection faster.
To denature the corona of a virus or to destroy bacteria by heat you would have to drink much hotter liquid than your body can stand.
Mr. Melle, most of us are concerned with our own economies right now and our health and our families. Not everyone has an unearned pension that won’t be affected and can hole up in apartment somewhere. Tell it to Linda, if ya can find her.
March 23, 2020
Re: Disabled Veterans earned their benefits
I disagree with the view that I “sit in an apartment somewhere while I collect an unearned pension”. Rather, disabled Veterans like me earned their benefits through Honorable military service. I also want to say that I went to college and graduate school. When I was a young man, I looked for a job in the Pittsfield area without any success. I believe those who ran Pittsfield politics blacklisted me from employment because my dad was a politician there. They were retaliatory and mean-spirited against my dad and me for not playing ball with the big wheels who ran Pittsfield politics. From the mid-Spring of 2002 to the beginning of Summer of 2003, I walked around Pittsfield (Mass.) looking for a job, but no one would hire me. By the end of the Summer of 2003, my parents retired and sold their home in Becket and they moved to Amherst, NH to be with their then baby granddaughter. I moved to southern NH to live with my family, and all the work I could find was working part-time at a Sears store selling tools, which ended in the early-Spring of 2007, and it would the last job I ever held. I was arrested 2 months later, I was wrongly indicted on two Felonies and 8 misdemeanors after I drove around a Manchester NH cop and knocked over a traffic cone with my car. The cop jumped me and went on to lie about his illegal uses of force against me. Of course, in the cop’s use of force report, he checked off every box stating he used standard operating procedures to subdue and arrest me. In short, John Cunningham lied to cover his own behind, while placing me in legal jeopardy for a number of years. I was convicted of two misdemeanors: reckless conduct and disobeying a police officer. I had to serve 20 weekends in the county jail, among other sentencing guidelines. In the Summer of 2019, the State of New Hampshire annulled my criminal record. In closing, I am thankful for my VA care. Without it, I would be at risk of being homeless and would have to live a life of poverty, which I believe was caused by mean-spirited and retaliatory Pittsfield politicians and a lying city cop who protected himself while watching me get in legal trouble.
– Jonathan Melle
Oh Okay. Well, everybody’s got a story. If you didn’t get a government pension, or other government help, would you starve to death, or find a job?
You’re either a victim or a victor in life. I am sorry for you, that you made the choice to be a victim.
I did not choose to be a victim! My dad was a politician when I was in my early to mid 20’s. Pittsfield politics is toxic and mean-spirited! They tried to ruin my dad and my own respective lives during that time in my life. When I was in the U.S. Army, I did not ask to have a steel bar held to my head and then get punished for reporting the incident. I did not ask to be sleep deprived for days on end in the middle of a freezing January winter and then be given illegal orders to drive a 5 ton military vehicle on Germany’s civilian roads after a similar 5 ton truck had previously jackknifed and killed a mother and her son in their car en route to a German elementary school. I did not ask to be called “wop” multiple times by my branch manager at a bank and then have my employment terminated after I admitted to swearing at him while he denied his misconduct. I did not ask to be blacklisted from employment by the Good Old Boys who run Pittsfield politics. I did not ask for a Manchester NH cop to illegally use force against me and then deny it while I wrongly faced an excessive amount of criminal charges, including 2 felony indictments and 8 misdemeanor charges. I was convicted of 2 misdemeanor charges, but the State of NH annulled my criminal record last summer (2019). Lastly, I did not ask to be a person with a disability based on a psychiatric condition.
– Jonathan Melle
They only cleaned 1 mile of river in 20 years.It is never going to happen.They want a deal and for that you wil get a few million.
Under the title of complete incompetence, they waited too long to close the schools.
In South County and in Pittsfield. Many parents and officials begged for schools to be closed easily a week to ten days prior. They waited.
Now you will unfortunately see the toll waiting will have.
Shut the schools down for the year, NOW!
Shut down all non-essential businesses, NOW!
Mayor Linda Tyer and Superintendent Jason McCandless, we will not forget how you have failed our children.
COVID-19:Important Update from Superintendent McCandless:
“This is Superintendent Jason McCandless calling/writing with critically important information that you need to know. Please listen to this entire message.
We believe that members of our school community are likely positive for Covid-19. We believe that at least one individual has been in contact with students and with staff.
Our immediate concern is for staff and students at Reid Middle School due to potential positive cases. We urge Reid families and staff to be particularly watchful for potential symptoms of Covid-19, including coughing, a fever, and shortness of breath and to contact their healthcare provider if anyone has these symptoms. The Berkshire Medical Center Covid-19 Hotline is available daily at 855-262-5465 from 7 am to 7 pm to answer questions and concerns.
City Health Department Officials will be in touch with your family if you are believed to have an exposure to any individual who has tested positive for Covid-19. We ask you to please cooperate fully and completely with our local health authorities.
Again, the Berkshire Medical Center Covid-19 Hotline is available daily from 7 am to 7 pm to answer questions and concerns.”
Your comment about the Eagle makes it sound like everyone took the same week off when they were rotating the furlough over five weeks. It’s actually a pretty smart way to save on expenses while not having to lay anyone off. As for implying it is a money grab from the Eagle; it’s pretty clear the Eagle is barely getting by like most newspapers across the country. Love it or hate it, we are fortunate to still have a printed daily in this town and you have to give the people and the management credit for trying.
Yea but. Yea but Dan, and many of us here pointed out some years ago how a GOBSIG centered newspaper would never survive here, and yet a people centered one would have a chance. A people centered one, versus a special interest one, would rally around a people centered one in a time of need. Instead they are a mouthpiece for special interests, and protect the GOBSIGS, and gouged the average Joe for an obituary. So in a sense they are like the sub commander who nuked his own ship. Not even Connor Berry can save them now. Who would buy a subscription when they push lies and propaganda and are in bed with Tyers’ crooked class?
Someone wrote me an e-mail that said: “The BB missed the boat when they didn’t hire you to run the entire operation.” It would have cost them a lot of $$ to get me, but I would have turned that paper around. Oh well, I “Horace Greely-ed” elsewhere and else way and didn’t look back. All the happier for it!
Thanks for the alternate push, JD.
Let us pray. 2 trillion give away. Handouts for people with kids that are crummy parents and don’t even have a job and therefore lost nuttin in this crisis. More money to piss away on the big 3 – alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, including cardboard crack, while the government gives the kiddies free lunch, and the dead beat parents get food stamp card, free cash, free apartment, free heat, free phone, and a get outta jail free cars thanks to Harrington. God help us, the Democrats won’t.
But as the bill stands right now the overwhelmingly largest handouts are going to big business s including Donald Trumps family hotel business. The president will walk away with at least a billion dollars with his friends getting most of what he does not take for himself and family. He is not denying any of this by the way.
You’ve read the proposed bill?
Ok let’s allow airlines, hospitality industry, hospitals, travel industries, and utilities to fail. Give each individual $10,000. Is that what you want?
You got all that out of my post? Forgot, you are the Mensa guy. sorry.
Let’s hope this stimulus bill that is in the works has a clause in it where big business isn’t allowed to use any part of it for bonuses. When they received a taxpayers bailout last time they gave themselves huge bonuses, raises, etc.. There’s no reason they can’t include a clause in the bill. Both R’s and D’s receive big donations from these companies we bailout. That will be the reason why it doesn’t make it into the bill if any.
That is the broadest brush ever.We all know parent who are well to do and they dont drink or smoke but suck as role models.The checks to everyone is for great parents with great kids who do not have money and live at a very low level.They work hard and they are at the bottom of the pyramid and they will spend every nickle in every business.They will save the economy.Give people who dont have money more money and they will recycle every nickle.The well to do will put it under their mattress
Lots of rage directed at second homeowners for fleeing the big apple and coming to their condos and homes here, Vermont, vineyard, etc. Do they not have the right to do so, and stock up on groceries and the like, like the regular folk are doing?
Did you miss Police Report’s report on one of the arrogants saying loudly in Market 32 that the store should have special shopping hours for second-home owners because they spend a lot of money and pay a lot of taxes?
What next, allow the privileged ones exclusive access to health services while others get sick and die? All others can eat Solyent Green, I guess, and we’ll put you in a nice room with the colors and music of your choosing to go to your rest.
Can you just imagine this spoiled rotten privileged woman as we go forward? She is in for quite a comeuppance as she gets trampled by the real world for a change.
That may be a silver lining — the situation is a great equalizer.
Should we paint all the new yokas with the same brush?
After 911 many New Yorkers took refuge here in the Berkshires. They help the economy, so if one or two piss you off, maybe think of them as an exception and not the rule.
What economy? Perhaps it is the ol’ flower children buying the drugs . . .
Tell that to many of my family members who work on the tourist industry.
You should take your anger out on the hoarders.
Second-home owners are not tourists.
Second home owners are supporting our local restaurants just as much as are the locals are, if not more. Ask your favorite restaurant that you probably didn’t order from.
You’re right. I always order from out of state. They drone it in to me.
But, hey, y’all, I ain’t got no problem with no-body ‘cept they attitude and behavya.
Just the democrat in me.
Stockbridges population just doubled.
What’s the matter Dan? You expect leadership from Her Honor? You expect to be told how many sick and dead from Pittsfield? That’s too much to ask isn’t it?
I’m sick and tired of Tyers silence. If you can’t face us, at least post daily on your useless website – how many cases, how many dead.
Um, that information is updated daily on the city’s website. She did a 9 minute PCTV statement this week. She has made numerous comments to the Eagle. Take your head out of the sand and look around. This idea that she is hiding is just false. You’re not paying attention, that is the problem.
You’re right, J99. What was we thinkin’?
Not a fan of Tyer but she is superior to Trump in every way as he is rambling about social spacing not being effective.All Trump believers should show up on Park Square to show your confidence in his science.You guys are going to follow the advice of Baker Tyer and Cuomo.Deep down you people believe the science of this.
Let’s hope The Berkshire Eagle and area hotels have deep pockets to weather cancellation of Boston Symphony’s and Jacob’s Pillow’s respective Summer 2020 performance calendars.
They will all get bailouts and possibly wind up better off than if they filled the rooms. For the right people there will be money falling from the sky. That is Mitch s plan.
Still stuck out in Cali. Funny thing is, even SF is tolerable right now. They’re even acting like they care about human poop on the streets! Check out the article below. A colleague of the author is one of the people I spoke with before my last post. Bottom line: The hysteria has become too much. We all need to do the right thing, but it shouldn’t be necessary to terrify people in the process. When you read about projections of 40-70% of the globe being infected by COVID, or similar craziness, you need to consider how these numbers are derived. For the U.S figures, “researchers” start by modeling a population of 330 million. Then they enter inputs for every factor you can imagine to arrive at their headline grabbing predictions. Tweaking any of the variables can change the output dramatically. It’s a completely useless exercise when modeling the unknown, and ripe for bias/abuse. None of these predictions reflect even ONE BIT the dramatic steps we have taken and will continue to take. The media is irresponsible for trumpeting such doom and gloom, pardon the pun.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-nobel-laureate-predicts-quicker-210318391.html
Sorry you are still stuck in CA. I do agree with you on the corona issue, way too much fear- mongering by the media. I am very concerned with the way the economy has been completely shut down, as that may be more devastating to this country than the Chinese virus.
To get the stimulus passed Dow makes must drop sharply again. People can’t pay mortgages and rent if their not working. SSDI recipeses need the cash for smokes and smoke.
The Trump Presidency was the billionaires parachute minus any financial collapse,the same here in Pittsfield. The Beacon was to connected to failed. Millions in forgiveness. Someone had to have their name on that deal. Trumps ideology is wealth before peasants,always.
I saw that in the LA times too. Good news.
Thanks BLARE. Stay well.
A clarification email from the mayor to a councillor on parking:
“We will not be issuing tickets for overtime in paid parking spots or in timed spots. We will issue tickets for violation of handicap parking, fire lane, etc. We are also not going to offer free parking. It defeats our plea for social distancing. FREE PARKING! Everyone come downtown. However, Ricardo is working on a plan to create free temporary 5 min loading zones on North, Elm, and Tyler to help with restaurant take-out. Look for that in the next day or two.”
Not enough, Madame Mayor. This policy is one of fence-sitting. Open up every space. Free.
Well,
Wouldn’t that then be an admission that paid parking keeps people off of North street? or at the very least it does not help draw people. One of reasonable intellect might think that in times of a global pandemic we might not want to have people handling the screens on the kiosks etc. ask yourself is that contact essential?
I’m not sure what city Mayor Tyer thinks she runs but you could offer free parking forever downtown and still practice social distancing.
There’s very little to do and the businesses are closed except for pickup.
What she doesn’t mention is that if you don’t use the kiosk they will issue tickets. Which defeats the purpose of not having people touch the kiosks.
They won’t ticket if you park overtime, but they will ticket if you don’t use the kiosks.
Also why waste the resources of the city hunting down tickets during a pandemic.
Just when you think she can’t get dumber, Mayor Linda Tyer does.
I went by city hall this morning and Rod Serling was looking back at me from the mayors window
Just heard a patented four-part BBC report on why the US sucked on the COVID-19 response. Said four-parters are usually aimed at denigrating some aspect of the Right, or anything to the right of Ted Kennedy. The BBC’s version of PBS’s Frontline.
The upshot, surprise!, Trump sucks.
So this narrative/meme is growing about how Trump disbanded/defunded/urinated-on-the-bed of THE commission that would have saved us all.
No mention that Trump acted early to close the border with China and then Europe.
And, of course, no else to blame–medical services, hospitals, governors, state health boards, etc.
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I don’t know about blue water just yet in the Venice canals, but I see from some videos that it is clear(er)–and probably doesn’t stink!
I think the preferred form is “buses.” “Busses” being what you’d give to your main squeeze under the mistletoe.
Pericles not an author, but maybe you’re reading Plutarch on him or Will’s play.
The water is “clear” because there’s no traffic in the water stirring up the sediment. It’s still extremely polluted
Clear and clean are two different things
Like Nick Cage [shoulda] said, “I could read The Planet for hours”…
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The mayor and super of schools way of getting out messages is pct morning shit show. No one tunes into that. Have press conferences. Or can’t they lie to the people while looking at the cameras or live mics.
There are at least ten items I would like to know and had to find out on my own.
Correct. Minuscule audiences. It’s Tyer’s way and JIV’s way of claiming their giving regular updates while remaining in hiding. They are afraid of regular, live, press conferences — even with the non-existent local media and no accountability. If anyone ever doubted the lack of leadership in the county seat, stand ye back and be convinced.
Good article Dan. As far as Lovely Linda goes, she does not communicate or respond to the Kapinski’s in normal times, how dare we expect her to respond and communicate in a world wide Pandemic. There have been many comments in the past on this site, long before Coron19 that her office does not respond to taxpayers. The only response we have received from Pee Pee Petie in about 5 years is “your three minutes are up”, I believe his time has been up as the President of the CC for years. Since the election the CC has been silent even during there call to fame televised meetings. Everyone keep healthy,
Stooge has a psychologist on today? Instead of a medical doctor,who I presume would be more appropriate at this time. And she’s promoting OLLI at B C C. Student programming has left the scene at T B R. It’s Official.
The programming there is so clueless as to defy description!
This would be a good time for Pete Marchetti to step aside as the council has a strong vice president in Pete White.
White is just a mini-Pete
Berkshire Co doesn’t have any leaders. My guess is Hinds is going to call in every Democratic Party favor he can if Biden wins and get a job the hell out of here. He has probably made a deal with squeaky for his seat.
Dow is crashing. Let the social war begin.
Instead of just voting a thumbs down – I invite any examples of leadership. You don’t like what I say? Show me the opposite.
Okay Kermit, here a two cent tid bit on leadership from the mayor – if not a daily briefing, at least a weekly one, but a daily column on her website letting us know she is at least in the city, and reporting daily, city deaths, and city infections. Why does this information have to be kept secret. If there was boat load of tea in this God forsaken city, I’d throw it overboard I am so frustrated.
I think regular updates are a great idea. I doubt they want questions but online might help.
She is a deer frozen in the headlights … or … she is over her head and overwhelmed … or she doesn’t care. Pick one for the performance of the mayor, superintendent, council president, and school committee chair. Especially the mayor and JIV.
At the local or even county level a simple daily press conference with relevant information for the local situation and pointers to accurate information/resources would be extremely valuable and viable.
She and the City could showcase all the monies we spent on IT personnel and equipment and essentially run a daily group video chat (think Facebook live) from individual locations (to illustrate social distancing) We would also show companies that we have the tech wherewithal and bandwidth to be able to do business in the City. We have spent how much on fibre optic cabling etc.? These briefings would also be archived (recorded) for others to watch at any time should they be preoccupied at the live time. It would present her an opportunity to show case a department, a department head detail there mission and have them tell us we have done blah and blah and are preparing xyz. They could tell us where they are drawing their direction and guidance from. Example The CDC has published guidance that when coupled with the directives issued by both the Commonwealth and FEMA sets us up to do this project xyz and as long as we stick within that guidance we feel we could be garnering maximum reimbursement when that time comes.
Cost minimal with the technology / resources the city already has
Value?
We need a War Time President
I’d settle for a peace time mayor
I’d settle for an actual mayor, not a pretend one.
23 Berkshire cases as of 4 pm yesterday, including a death, according to state web site. How many PIttsfield cases?
Is anybody having trouble getting on to the Glen Beck site on 1420 AM local radio? I had to stream it on my computer to listen to it. This also happened on Friday halfway through the show. Just wondering if this very popular radio show is being cut off for this area.
Pat, if you just read any of his comments from the past year you will be covered. It is basically the same shit day in and day out so I guarantee you have not missed anything of value.
Pat try 810 am.
Thank you!
The 120 million dollar fear monger.It pays to say Obama hates America.Obama hates white people.Obama is not a American citizen.15 hours per week of brainwashing Pat.Try to walk away from his nonsense and walk away from his invisable hate.
Too bad real info is not available because the rumor mill is cranking it up bigtime.
It would be nice if they gave a breakdown of the number of cases by city/town.
TOP SECRET, SUPER SECRET SQUIRREL POOP
BIRD
Agreed. That is one piece of essential information that for some reason remains “CLASSIFIED.” This does nothing to ease fears. The opposite, in fact.
Unless told otherwise it is probably safe to assume almost all are in Pittsfield. And that would be why the mayor is hiding under the bed holding on to her teddy bear.
Its important to know the city or town.
“How much longer will Americans obey ever-more-stricter calls for the curtailing of individual freedom”
I suspect not long. Most people have generally complied with the recommendations put forth by the CDC and MA. Eventually your going to get to a “screw it” point where people are going to realize the cure is worst then the disease.
Which leads me to another point. A shelter in place will be a death sentence to the majority of Berkshire County. Sure, if your a teacher or someone else working in the public sector, its easy for you to yell for everyone to shelter while collecting your paycheck at home. For those of us that don’t have such luxury, we are still trying to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads.
As testing increases, of course we will see the numbers increase. People interpret that as the sky is falling when the majority of people recover on their own from what feels like a flu. Of course, we should be protecting the most vulnerable as we do every flu season, but to shut down the entire economy for an unknown amount of time? That will hurt way more Americans then the virus ever could.
I agree, Hendrix.
The more testing that is done, the more confirmed cases rise and mortality statistic goes down. Mortality now lower than 2%. It’s serious, but the economy is on the brink of collapse.
What many don’t seem to understand; social distancing is the only “cure” right now. The longer we wait to do that, the more infected there are. The more infected, the longer it takes for this to burn itself out which means the longer the quarantine.
We’ve already seen the future, and we’ve seen how things progress depending on how things are handled.
China first case in November, didn’t mention it until December. China is still in lockdown and won’t begin to really lift it until April 8th.
Italy is just now seeing a slowing in the infection rate, it will be easily a month if not two before they crawl out from a lockdown.
We are still on a rise, a trajectory upward, yet here we are thinking April 7 is a hard deadline. We will be lucky if we hit peak infections by April 7. Then it’s 30-60 days beyond that for it to be really safe.
Why you ask? That’s how long it will take to clear existing infections and to limit secondary infections.
Fourteen days of quarantine or isolation if you aren’t sick, 45 if you are.
If when this thing started and we saw it coming we acted decisively, if we locked down when the first case hit Berkshire County, yes April 7 might have been a real possibility.
The day those two students went home from BHRSD, that was the day all schools should have closed.
The day the first confirmed infected patient was determined, that was the day we should have gone to a staying home order.
PR, but with so much interstate business and networking, how can you lock down a small county or state and think you will be able to avoid it? So we lock down MA, NY, CT, etc, but when we lift those restrictions what is going to prevent people from traveling from FL, CA, etc and triggering another wave? We have to be smart about balancing healthcare & the economy. This all or nothing approach until summer is simply not feasible.
Cannabis fertilized using Bat Guano; vaping illnesses outbreak & VE acetate; Bat S%#! Crazy; flower strain – #GuaVo-19….. cough cough pass
Finally, hiarcuts, BJ’s, tattoos, etc are outlawed – essential businesses only can operate. all others shutdown.
and stay home
https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-causes-massachusetts-gov-charlie-baker-to-issue-stay-at-home-advisory-closing-all-non-essential-businesses.html
The Democrats are up to complete nasty behavior trying to push the Green New Deal onto this health care bill. They will let Americans die unless this Green New Deal bill is part of the health package. Americans need to stop this insanity. Mitch McConnel on TV now saying just what they are up to.
Mitch McConnell? The guy that brags about his graveyard of bills that have been sent to him over the last three years? The guy that single handedly has blocked infrastructure improvement as well as hundreds of other bills? Too funny…
Someone is pushing Pelosi behind the scenes to go for these insane measures. Taking a bill that is already extremely high and adding the outrageously expensive Green New Deal to it?!? Whoever is advising her is not looking out for the best interests of this country. She was ready to sign it and her mind was changed rather quickly.
Do you think it is Putin?
We know who it is. Far left liberals who love communist countries.
Oh.
Nobody loves communist
We finally agree on something’s
The dem bills are always loaded with unrelated nonsense.
Its about Trump owning a 500 billion dollar bailout fund.They want more people involved in controlling half a trillion other that the known failure.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-essential-services/download
List of essential services
COVID-19 Essential Services
COVID-19 ESSENTIAL SERVICES
EXHIBIT A OF THE ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR ASSURING CONTINUED OPERATION OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN THE COMMONWEALTH, CLOSING CERTAIN WORKPLACES AND PROHIBITING GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE
March 23, 2020
Governor Charlie Baker issued an emergency order requiring all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 Essential Services” to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public as of Tuesday, March 24th at noon until Tuesday, April 7th at noon. These businesses are encouraged to continue operations remotely.
The Baker-Polito Administration issued a list of designated businesses and other organizations that provide essential services and workforces related to COVID-19 that shall continue to operate brick and mortar facilities during this two-week time period. This list is based on federal guidance and amended to reflect the needs of Massachusetts’ unique economy. While these businesses are designated as essential, they are urged to follow social distancing protocols for workers in accordance with guidance from the Department of Public Health.
Businesses and organizations not on the list of essential services are encouraged to continue operations through remote means that do not require workers, customers, or the public to enter or appear at the brick-and-mortar premises closed by the order.
Restaurants, bars, and other establishments that sell food and beverage products to the public are encouraged to continue to offer food for take-out and by delivery if they follow the social distancing protocols set forth in Department of Public Health guidance continue operations. On-premises consumption of food or drink is prohibited.
HEALTHCARE / PUBLIC HEALTH / HUMAN SERVICES
• Workers providing COVID-19 testing; Workers that perform critical clinical research needed for COVID-19 response
• Medical Professionals and caregivers (e.g., physicians, dentists, psychologists, mid-level practitioners, nurses and assistants, infection control and quality assurance personnel, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and assistants, social workers, speech pathologists and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and technologists, other providers of mental and behavioral health care, personal care attendants, home health aides and home care workers)
• Hospital and laboratory personnel (including accounting, administrative, admitting and discharge, engineering, epidemiological, source plasma and blood donation, food service, housekeeping, medical records, information technology and operational technology, nutritionists, sanitarians, respiratory therapists, etc.)
• Workers in other medical facilities (including Ambulatory Health and Surgical, Blood Banks, Medical Clinics, Community Mental Health Centers, Methadone/OBOT Clinics, 24 hour Diversionary and Residential Behavioral Health Providers, Comprehensive Outpatient rehabilitation, End Stage Renal Disease, Health Departments, Home Health care, Hospices, Hospitals, Nursing Facilities, Rest Homes, Assisted Living Residences, Organ Pharmacies,
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
Procurement Organizations, Psychiatric Residential, Residential Treatment Schools, Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Center s and Community Health Centers, State Hospitals, and licensed medical marijuana retailers)
• Workers in other 24/7 community resident services serving children and youth, and individuals with developmental, intellectual, physical and/or cognitive disabilities
• Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of or necessary to the supply chain of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical gases, pharmaceuticals, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel products
• Public health / community health workers, including those who compile, model, analyze and communicate public health information
• Blood and plasma donors and the employees of the organizations that operate and manage related activities
• Workers that manage health plans, billing, and health information, who cannot practically work remotely
• Workers who conduct community-based public health functions, conducting epidemiologic surveillance, compiling, analyzing and communicating public health information, who cannot practically work remotely
• Workers performing cybersecurity functions at healthcare and public health facilities, who cannot practically work remotely
• Workers conducting research critical to COVID-19 response
• Workers performing security, incident management, and emergency operations functions at or
on behalf of healthcare entities including healthcare coalitions, who cannot practically work
remotely
• Workers who support food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for
economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, such as those residing in shelters
• Pharmacy employees necessary for filling prescriptions
• Workers performing mortuary services and workers at funeral homes, crematoriums, and
cemeteries
• Workers who coordinate with other organizations to ensure the proper recovery, handling,
identification, transportation, tracking, storage, and disposal of human remains and personal effects; certify cause of death; and facilitate access to mental/behavioral health services to the family members, responders, and survivors of an incident
LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS
• Personnel in emergency management, law enforcement, Emergency Management Systems, fire, and corrections, including front line and management required to maintain operations
• Emergency Medical Technicians
• 911 call center employees, including telecommunicators, dispatchers and managers
• Fusion Center employees
• Hazardous material responders from government and the private sector.
• Workers – including contracted vendors — who maintain digital systems infrastructure
supporting law enforcement and emergency service operations.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
• Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail, including farmers markets and farm stands, that sells food and beverage products, including liquor stores
• Restaurant carry-out and quick serve food operations – Carry-out and delivery food employees March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
• Food manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food processing (packers, meat processing, cheese plants, milk plants, produce, etc.) facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging
• Farm workers to include those employed in animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically
• Farm workers and support service workers to include those who field crops; commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; storage facilities; and other agricultural inputs
• Workers supporting the seafood and fishing industry
• Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse
workers, vendor-managed inventory controllers and blockchain managers
• Workers supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from
wholesale to retail
• Company cafeterias – in-plant cafeterias used to feed employees; food service workers in
residential schools with students who are unable to leave campus
• Workers in food testing labs in private industries and in institutions of higher education
• Workers essential for assistance programs and government payments
• Employees of companies engaged in the production of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and
other substances used by the food and agriculture industry, including pesticides, herbicides,
fertilizers, minerals, enrichments, and other agricultural production aids
• Animal agriculture workers to include those employed in veterinary health; manufacturing and distribution of animal medical materials, animal vaccines, animal drugs, feed ingredients, feed,
and bedding, etc.; transportation of live animals, animal medical materials; transportation of deceased animals for disposal; raising of animals for food; animal production operations; slaughter and packing plants and associated regulatory and government workforce
• Organizations and workers responsible for the care and custody of animals, pets and livestock
• Workers who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products, including, but not
limited to timber, paper, and other wood products
• Employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure
necessary to agricultural production and distribution
ENERGY
Electricity industry:
• Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore the reliable generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, reliability engineers and fleet maintenance technicians
• Workers needed for safe and secure operations at nuclear generation
• Workers at generation, transmission and electric blackstart facilities
• Workers at Reliability Coordinator (RC), Balancing Authorities (BA), and primary and backup
Control Centers (CC), including but not limited to independent system operators, regional
transmission organizations, and balancing authorities
• Mutual assistance personnel
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
• IT and OT technology staff – for EMS (Energy Management Systems) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and utility data centers; Cybersecurity engineers; cybersecurity risk management
• Vegetation management crews and traffic workers who support
• Environmental remediation/monitoring technicians
• Instrumentation, protection, and control technicians
Petroleum workers:
• Petroleum product storage, pipeline, marine transport, terminals, rail transport, road transport
• Crude oil storage facilities, pipeline, and marine transport
• Petroleum refinery facilities
• Petroleum security operations center employees and workers who support emergency response
services
• Petroleum operations control rooms/centers
• Petroleum drilling, extraction, production, processing, refining, terminal operations,
transporting, and retail for use as end-use fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturing
• Onshore and offshore operations for maintenance and emergency response
• Retail fuel centers such as gas stations and truck stops, and the distribution systems that
support them
Natural and propane gas workers:
• Natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines, including compressor stations, and road transport
• Underground storage of natural gas
• Natural gas processing plants, and those that deal with natural gas liquids
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities
• Natural gas security operations center, natural gas operations dispatch and control
rooms/centers natural gas emergency response and customer emergencies, including natural
gas leak calls
• Drilling, production, processing, refining, and transporting natural gas for use as end-use fuels,
feedstocks for chemical manufacturing, or use in electricity generation
• Propane gas dispatch and control rooms and emergency response and customer emergencies,
including propane leak calls
• Propane gas service maintenance and restoration, including call centers
• Processing, refining, and transporting natural liquids, including propane gas, for use as end-use
fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturing
• Propane gas storage, transmission, and distribution centers
Steam workers:
• Workers who support steam distribution companies’ provision of district heating and any electric generation
• Workers who support steam distribution companies’ dispatch and control rooms and emergency response and customer emergencies, including steam leak calls
• Workers who support steam distribution companies’ service maintenance and restoration, including call centers
• Workers who support steam distribution companies’ storage, transmission, and distribution centers
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
WATER AND WASTEWATER
Employees needed to operate and maintain public and private drinking water and wastewater/drainage infrastructure, including:
• Operational staff at water authorities
• Operational staff at community water systems
• Operational staff at wastewater treatment facilities
• Workers repairing water and wastewater conveyances and performing required sampling or
monitoring
• Operational staff for water distribution and testing
• Operational staff at wastewater collection facilities
• Operational staff and technical support for SCADA Control systems
• Chemical disinfectant suppliers for wastewater and personnel protection
• Workers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting water and wastewater
operations
TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
• Employees supporting or enabling transportation functions, including dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and rest area workers, and workers that maintain and inspect infrastructure (including those that require cross-border travel)
• Employees of firms providing services that enable logistics operations, including cooling, storing, packaging, and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use
• Mass transit and passenger rail workers, including contracted vendors providing transportation and maintenance services to public transit authorities
• Workers critical to operating rental car companies and Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) that facilitate continuity of operations for essential workforces, and other essential travel
• Workers responsible for operating dispatching passenger, commuter and freight trains and public transportation and buses and maintaining rail and transit infrastructure and equipment
• Maritime transportation workers – port workers, mariners, equipment operators
• Truck drivers who haul hazardous and waste materials to support critical infrastructure,
capabilities, functions, and services
• Automotive repair and maintenance facilities
• Workers who respond to and clear traffic crashes, including contracted vendors and dispatchers
• Manufacturers and distributors (to include service centers and related operations) of packaging
materials, pallets, crates, containers, and other supplies needed to support manufacturing,
packaging staging and distribution operations
• Postal and shipping workers, to include private companies
• Workers who support moving and storage services
• Employees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the
equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and
passengers
• Air transportation employees, including air traffic controllers, ramp personnel, aviation security,
and aviation management and other workers – including contracted vendors – providing
services for air passengers
• Workers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo by air transportation, including
flight crews, maintenance, airport operations, and other on- and off- airport facilities workers
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
PUBLIC WORKS
• Workers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential dams, locks and levees
• Workers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential public works facilities and operations, including roads and bridges, water and sewer main breaks, fleet maintenance personnel, construction of critical or strategic infrastructure, traffic signal maintenance, emergency location services for buried utilities, maintenance of digital systems infrastructure supporting public works operations, and other emergent issues
• Workers – including contracted vendors – involved in the construction of critical or strategic infrastructure including public works construction, airport operations, water, sewer, gas, electrical, nuclear, oil refining and other critical energy services, roads and highways, public transportation, solid waste collection and removal, and internet, and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services)
• Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, inspectors and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, construction sites and projects, and needed facilities
• Support, such as road and line clearing and utility relocation, to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications
• Support to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste and hazardous waste
• Licensed site clean-up professionals and other workers addressing hazardous spills, waste sites, and remediation.
• Workers who support the operation, maintenance and public safety of state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, water supply protection lands, and other critical natural resources.
• Workers who support storm clean-up operations (e.g., foresters). COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Communications:
• Maintenance of communications infrastructure- including privately owned and maintained communication systems- supported by technicians, operators, call-centers, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, undersea cable landing stations, Internet Exchange Points, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment
• Workers who support radio, television, and media service, including, but not limited to front line news reporters, studio, and technicians for newsgathering and reporting
• Workers at Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations, and Network Operations staff, engineers and/or technicians to manage the network or operate facilities
• Engineers, technicians and associated personnel responsible for infrastructure construction and restoration, including contractors for construction and engineering of fiber optic cables
• Installation, maintenance and repair technicians that establish, support or repair service as needed
• Central office personnel to maintain and operate central office, data centers, and other network office facilities
• Customer service and support staff, including managed and professional services as well as remote providers of support to transitioning employees to set up and maintain home offices,
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
who interface with customers to manage or support service environments and security issues,
including payroll, billing, fraud, and troubleshooting
• Dispatchers involved with service repair and restoration
Information Technology:
• Workers who support command centers, including, but not limited to Network Operations Command Center, Broadcast Operations Control Center and Security Operations Command Center
• Data center operators, including system administrators, HVAC & electrical engineers, security personnel, IT managers, data transfer solutions engineers, software and hardware engineers, and database administrators
• Client service centers, field engineers, and other technicians supporting critical infrastructure, as well as manufacturers and supply chain vendors that provide hardware and software, and information technology equipment (to include microelectronics and semiconductors) for critical infrastructure
• Workers responding to cyber incidents involving critical infrastructure, including medical facilities, SLTT governments and federal facilities, energy and utilities, and banks and financial institutions, and other critical infrastructure categories and personnel
• Workers supporting the provision of essential global, national and local infrastructure for computing services (incl. cloud computing services), business infrastructure, web-based services, and critical manufacturing
• Workers supporting communications systems and information technology used by law enforcement, public safety, medical, energy and other critical industries
• Support required for continuity of services, including janitorial/cleaning personnel
OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
• Workers to ensure continuity of building functions, including local and state inspectors and administrative support of inspection services who are responsible for the inspection of elevators, escalators, lifts, buildings, plumbing and gas fitting, electrical work, and other safety related professional work
• Security staff to maintain building access control and physical security measures
• Elections personnel
• Federal, State, and Local, Tribal, and Territorial employees who support Mission Essential
Functions and communications networks
• Trade Officials (FTA negotiators; international data flow administrators)
• Weather forecasters
• Workers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting other critical government
operations
• Workers at operations centers necessary to maintain other essential functions
• Workers who support necessary credentialing, vetting and licensing operations for
transportation workers including holders of Commercial Drivers Licenses
• Workers who are critical to facilitating trade in support of the national, state and local
emergency response supply chain
• Educators and staff supporting public and private emergency childcare programs, residential
schools for students with disabilities, K-12 schools, colleges, and universities for purposes of facilitating distance learning, provision of school meals, or performing other essential student support functions, if operating under rules for social distancing
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
• Hotel workers
• Critical government workers, as defined by the employer and consistent with Continuity of
Operations Plans
• Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of
construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)
• Workers that provide services for or determine eligibility for public benefits such as subsidized health care, food and feeding programs, residential and congregate care programs, shelter, in-
home supportive services, child welfare, juvenile justice programs, adult protective services and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals (including family members)
• Workers in sober homes
• Professional services (such as legal and accounting services) and payroll and employee benefit
services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities and critical sector services or where failure to provide such services during the time of the order would result in significant prejudice
• Commercial retail stores that supply essential sectors, including convenience stores, pet supply stores, auto supplies and repair, hardware and home improvement, and home appliance retailers
• Laundromats and laundry services
• Workers and instructors supporting academies and training facilities and courses for the
purpose of graduating students and cadets that comprise the essential workforce for all
identified critical sectors
• Workers at places of worship
CRITICAL MANUFACTURING
• Workers necessary for the manufacturing of materials and products needed for medical supply chains including personal protective equipment and hygiene products, transportation, energy, communications, food and agriculture, chemical manufacturing, nuclear facilities, the operation of dams, water and wastewater treatment, emergency services, and the defense industrial base.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
• Workers at nuclear facilities, workers managing medical waste, workers managing waste from pharmaceuticals and medical material production, and workers at laboratories processing test kits
• Workers who support hazardous materials response and cleanup
• Workers who maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting hazardous materials
management operations
FINANCIAL SERVICES
•
• •
Workers who are needed to process and maintain systems for processing financial transactions and services (e.g., payment, clearing, and settlement; wholesale funding; insurance services; and capital markets activities)
Workers who are needed to provide consumer access to banking and lending services, including ATMs, and to move currency and payments (e.g., armored cash carriers)
Workers who support financial operations, such as those staffing data and security operations centers
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 Essential Services
CHEMICAL
• Workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper products.
• Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging items
• Workers supporting the production of protective cleaning and medical solutions, personal protective equipment, and packaging that prevents the contamination of food, water, medicine, among others essential products
• Workers supporting the operation and maintenance of facilities (particularly those with high risk chemicals and/or sites that cannot be shut down) whose work cannot be done remotely and requires the presence of highly trained personnel to ensure safe operations, including plant contract workers who provide inspections
• Workers who support the production and transportation of chlorine and alkali manufacturing, single-use plastics, and packaging that prevents the contamination or supports the continued manufacture of food, water, medicine, and other essential products, including glass container manufacturing
DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE
• Workers who support the essential services required to meet national security commitments to the federal government and U.S. Military. These individuals, include but are not limited to, aerospace; mechanical and software engineers, manufacturing/production workers; IT support; security staff; security personnel; intelligence support, aircraft and weapon system mechanics and maintainers
• Personnel working for companies, and their subcontractors, who perform under contract to the Department of Defense providing materials and services to the Department of Defense, and government-owned/contractor-operated and government-owned/government-operated facilities
If the function of your business is not listed above, but you believe that it is essential or it is an entity providing essential services or functions, you may request designation as an essential business.
Requests by businesses to be designated an essential function should only be made if they are NOT covered by the guidance.
To request designation as an essential business, please click here:
https://www.mass.gov/forms/essential-service-designation-request Any questions can be directed to covid19.biz@mass.gov.
March 23, 2020
Thank you, PR, for sharing. This makes THE PLANET the first to share this vital information.
An incredible exchange yesterday. When a question was asked aboutTrumps involvement in the stock market,he stated’I don’t have stocks’. Then, all the liberals complained he went on to long about his losing billions. Why did you ask the question in the first place if you didn’t want to hear the reply?
Yea, I posted link hours earlier.
If you heat your home with oil or wood pellets , will these be available for delivery?
Yes. I called for an oil delivery today. No problem.
There’s plenty of oil
Pellets?
Dettingers is open and usually has them and offers free delivery
Bard College at Simon’s Rock Not taking things seriously. Go figure, the rules just never apply to them
Unlike at Williams College, which made the call to close its campus for the remainder of the semester, residence halls and campus facilities will remain open at Simon’s Rock. Bard Academy high school students will be required to remain off campus to complete the semester remotely, but Simon’s Rock college students have been given the option to complete the semester from on- or off-campus locations.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/some-at-simons-rock-will-return-to-campus-while-others-go-remote,600586
Their stupidity puts everyone at risk.
Germany flattened the curve by keeping people home.
Barnstable Co Population 213,444/COVID cases 24
Berkshire Co Population 126,348/COVID cases 23
What’s someone going to do if I’m ina crowd? They don’t even enforce traffic violations here.
Funk in dems
3/23
Barnstable Co Population 213,444/COVID cases 30
Berkshire Co Population 126,348/COVID cases 26
In a meeting today we were told that the “unknowns”
range from homes, to undocumented workers, to students and visitors who maintain their drivers licenses out of state. A few are because of lack of data provided.
One of the biggest problems is that hospitals like BNC are withhold information to local BOH under the auspices of HIPAA. The law is clear they should be notifying local BOH but they are not.
As I understand it, HIPPA cannot be used to hide information in a pandemic. If that’s correct, BMC is again breaking the law. True about HIPPA, PR?
True in fact it’s actually often required to notify the local BOH if there are citizens with infectious diseases that require quarantine in a community.
It doesn’t even have to be a pandemic.
Even notice if there’s a hepatitis issue at a restaurant, they immediately identify the location, the dates and times, and sometimes even gender of the carrier?
This is vital information to protect the public.
“ Public Health Activities. The HIPAA Privacy Rule recognizes the legitimate need for public health authorities and others responsible for ensuring public health and safety to have access to PHI that is necessary to carry out their public health mission. Therefore, the HIPAA Privacy Rule permits covered entities to disclose needed PHI without individual authorization:
• To a public health authority that is authorized by law to collect or receive such information for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability, or to a person or entity acting under a grant of authority from or under contract with such public health agency,. This could include, for example: the reporting of disease or injury; reporting vital events, such as births or deaths; and conducting public health surveillance, investigations, or interventions.”
Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule Permit Disclosure to Public Officials Responding to a Bioterrorism Threat or other Public Health Emergency?
Yes. The HIPAA Privacy Rule recognizes that various agencies and public officials will need PHI to deal effectively with a bioterrorism threat or emergency. The public health threat does not have to reach a declared emergency status. If information is needed by a government agency to protect the health of the public (e.g., a food-borne outbreak), the agency may request and receive appropriate clinical and other information about the patient’s disease, care, and response to treatment. To facilitate the communications that are essential to a quick and effective response to such events, the HIPAA Privacy Rule permits covered entities to disclose needed information to public officials in a variety of ways. Further, if the covered entity has obligations to report test results and other information to public health agencies by statute, rule, or ordinance, the HIPAA Privacy Rule generally permits these disclosures.
Covered entities may disclose PHI, without the individual’s authorization, to a public health authority acting as authorized by law in response to a bioterrorism threat or public health emergency (reference 45 CFR 164.512(b)), public health activities). The HIPAA Privacy Rule also permits a covered entity to disclose PHI to public officials who are reasonably able to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to public health or safety related to bioterrorism (reference 45 CFR 164.512(j)), to avert a serious threat to health or safety). In addition, disclosure of PHI, without the individual’s authorization, is permitted where the circumstances of the emergency implicates law enforcement activities (reference 45 CFR 164.512(f)); national security and intelligence activities (reference 45 CFR 164.512(k)(2)); or judicial and administrative proceedings (reference 45 CFR 164.512(e)).
Mayor now sayin 16 from Pittsfield. Expects more if they do testing. Are they doing testing? Do they even have tests?
TheMayor should stand next to the tease area for support like she does at the Beacon,bic,antheneum,etc.
They are testing and there are tests. They are now finding out how delaying closing the school has impacted the health of both staff and students.
Wow. She says you have to have been standing next to someone who tests positive for at least 15 minutes. Where in the hell did she get that?
Maybe it’s better if Mayor Linda Tyer doesn’t speak. Giving out dangerous information like that can be lethal.
She has mixed two different versions of what close contact means.
They have been telling people that if you’ve been in a room with someone for less than 15 minutes who has tested positive for COVID-19, you are probably “ok”.
Further she ignores direct contact (sneezing, coughing)
and transmission by indirect contact (touching a contaminated surface).
Last week she was on a PCTV show dealing with COVID 19. There were two mayors and two doctors. All four panelists told us to mind our social distance while the two docs and the two mayors were at elbow rubbing distance.
So if there is a 15 minute rule then the testers should be in good shape. Probably only takes a couple of minutes to do a swab. Sounds kinda like the 5 second rule if you drop your gum on the sidewalk. If you grab it back up before 5 seconds it is safe to go back in your mouth. But she should probably tell the medical experts cuz I don’t think they heard about this new rule. They are going to be really excited though.
That’s considered “intimate” contact and there is not “safe time” for that.
Nancy Pelosi not letting a crisis go to waste….
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/23/nancy-pelosi-proposes-1120-page-coronavirus-bill-stuffed-with-pork/
Valenti hit the nail when he stated The d a was still in-campaign mode. Add Tyer to that. She worthless as our Mayor.
Please tell us what you are doing to help? really besides reporting from Ma’s basement and waiting for your handout.
Why can’t they just do a clean bill?
We need a new law requiring clean bills only. No more doubling up/ adding on to proposed legislation.
Good old breitbart. You’ll always get straight news from them.
That sick and disgusting Pelosi is pushing Obama phone expansion and numerous other giveaways that have nothing to do with Covid.
The expert in anything was once a beginner.
Pelosi wants more money for big unions and green energy nonsense that has nothing to do with this health crisis.
Oops
You never needed that j-o-b anydamnway
The simple fact is, there should be no real discussion about April 7 as a deadline for going back to school or for removing a stay at home order.
We know the trajectory of this virus we have seen how it can exponentially grow, the measures other countries have taken, and how long it takes to dig out from under this. It’s a minimum of four weeks of isolation AFTER the numbers start to drop.
Baker is doing no one any favors by pushing a hard April 7 deadline.
Let’s see how things go here in the states before making such a rash decision. I think Baker is being cautious and I support his viewpoint.
Eight passes down my short side street,no Snow? Your wasting fuel. Where’s Kuffkinks and Cardo?
City has announced grab-n-go parking zones for takeout downtown. As long as you don’t get taken out yourself down there.
If you can do within 15 minutes you should be OK.
Sen. Kennedy: This country was founded by geniuses, it’s being run by idiots
Whew, even under Baker’s new order I can still save the Berkshire economy by ordering a takeout sam’ich. How much do I need to spend till I can start acting like an aristocratic/oligarchic asshole and demand special treatment?
But I am in discussions with local grocers trying to establish guidelines that will prioritize shopping hours based on economic status.
From more privileged to least:
1. Owners of county homes in excess of 500K evaluation.
2. 250K to 500K
3. 100K to 249.99K
4. Under 100K
5. Renters who don’t use food stamps.
6. All the rest of the unwashed who use food stamps.
7. Homeless and beggars.
8. Smokers, dog owners who don’t pick up the shit, loud cellphone talkers, and drivers who don’t use their directionals.
9. People who watch more than five minutes of MSNBC a day.
Have a great day!
Do people that voted for Trump go to top of list? That would elliminate most of these liberal, left wing loons from the big apple?
You mean the whites?
The problem is The President of the United States of America.He wants to abolish social distancing in 15 days.Science is of no value to him.People are fearing the rambling moron.If you listen to him your in to deep.Not a leader and never was…..Good luck. Even Fox news is ignoring what he is saying.I guarentee the shows will not sit around a table together in 15 days.They are afraid of his ignorance.
Why can’t School Committee demonstrate that he or she has ever been to school?
There is a lot of room for improvement from the top down. It’s clear it’s unknown but we have experience to draw on.
Good news.
If you’re a Joe Biden supporter you can still go to one of his campaign rallies, because they still fall well within the public gathering limit of 10 people or less.
Brilliant! It’s guys like you that make this blog great.
Funny stuff!
The coronavirus is new and created a totally unknown scenario for everyone. So, when either a medical expert or a politician says, “If we do X, they Y will occur,” they’re full of themselves. Nobody knows what’s going to happen when dealing with an unknown. It doesn’t help that we have been bombarded with this by the media. Using a number tossed out by George Will, 160,000 people died yesterday on the planet of various reasons with 100 of them in the U.S. from the virus. Heed advice and just be smart in conducting your life.
Regarding Dan’s comment on how countries like China immediately took hold of the situation versus a democracy, a Chinese MD friend of mine made this simple but truthful remark: “In China, it’s not like here in America. In China, when they tell you stay inside and you don’t, they shoot you. It’s a big incentive versus America.”
Again, when you have to go out, be smart. Don’t be like the 6 foot plus jackass that I saw in Stop & Shop, picking through the unwrapped fresh produce while hacking up a lung without even covering his mouth. If you feel lousy, stay home if you can.
Saw a guy in PC a couple of days ago that had to fondle and squeeze every pomegranate in the whole bin before he decided on six he liked. Wash all your fruit and vegetables twice.
Plenty of people manhandle the fruit and vegetables, especially women, looking for the best selection, yet shack up with the first dirt bag that comes along. Any wonder why their lives are a mess?
It really is telling when a Mayor and Council President are given the opportunity to provide real leadership and simply go into hiding instead. It is the ultimate betrayal to the residents. Years ago, we had a Mayor named Don Butler. He viewed the job of Mayor as a moral responsibility. At that time, the City was much larger and the issues far more complex than today (late 1960’s – early 70’s). Mayor Butler and his administration, including a dedicated in-house City Solicitor, faced issues (and the people) with honesty, integrity and hard work. And, whether one is a fan or not of Mayor Barrett (North Adams), when he wanted to be sure the streets were plowed he went out on a snowplow. I have lived in Pittsfield my entire life, and cannot remember a time when I felt like we did not have a Mayor or a Council – like we are just out here on our own – until this administration. Real leaders cannot wait until they are needed to lead – they want to have that opportunity. Our local politicians are either uncaring, lack the moral inertia necessary, or are incompetent (or all of the above). In any event, they are letting us down every day, with every silence, and with every missed opportunity to do their jobs.
Why the hell did they plow last evening the roads didn’t need it? Today the street is bare?
Plowing was done so they can hide money. You’ll see that when this non-winter produces another deficit in the account. Hmmm … where does that money go? Who ends up getting rich? Hmmm … The only way to find out is a forensic audit, which goes in looking for criminality.
This is what you get with inexperience! The same with a President who is so ignorant he refuses advice from experience.
And he didn’t have a director of admi services and two secretaries. One
Good point Joe
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6912e3-H.pdf
As the CDC starts investigating and unsealing the cruise ships they have made an interesting discovery, one that doesn’t bode well at the present.
The ships have been “sealed off” and sat for over two weeks before CDC teams went in to do testing.
Before full cleaning surfaces were tested and it was found that the fomites were still there 17 days later.
“SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted (Takuya Yamagishi, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, personal communication, 2020). Although these data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces, further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted.“
One misnomer, these things do not “live” they are not living, the fomites just “exist”.
It would be helpful to have a test available for people who suspect that they had a mild case of covid-19 and recovered on their own. That would be useful from a statistical standpoint as well as determining who’s safe to re-enter the workforce.
I’m not miffed about the local leadership regarding local issues, BUT I am disgusted how we have not been represented to the State and Federal Gov’t regarding necessary relief. Tyer, Hinds, TFB etc should be screaming at the top of their lungs to Boston and Washington on our behalf. Haven’t heard a peep in that regards and that is our leadership failing us when we need it and being able to sort out what we need – I am disgusted…
Do you think it might be because they are all unaffected and cashing big taxpayer funded checks that are untouchable?
Renders my rants rather reasonable, right?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8146283/Angry-locals-St-Ives-Cornwall-scrawl-messages-beach-second-home-owners-remain-defiant.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/24/coronavirus-second-homes/?utm_campaign=wp_homepage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=rss
Very scary scenario with so few medical resources in those areas and even here in the Berkshires because I’m sure many in these infected areas have second homes here. Nantucket has only 3 ventilators?!? The state of Florida is filing criminal charges against anyone who is caught not quarantining for 2 weeks after fleeing these infected states because Florida is getting lots of second home owners fleeing New York and New Jersey. They said they would actually go to jail if they do not quarantine.
Murrow do something original. Take someone else’s name. Your not E M and never could be. Your as bad as asmelley. Aside….Trump wants us to feel his misery.
Your nut a gut speeler or righter. Cannt unterstoot whut ewe sad. Non god it thunkin eider.
WaPo link useless unless you have a subscription.
Thanks, Pat.
Looks like the second-homers shouldn’t even be out of the second home anyway, never mind special hours.
There have been 26 positive tests in Berkshire County, of those one man died in the last month.
8 people are currently hospitalized at BMC with the infection.
The US death rate holds steady at 1.2% but we know it is much lower considering all the people who have not been tested and those who were sick prior to 2/24 or never had symptoms in the first place.
It’s been once month since the data started to be collected. In that month, as of today 50,073 people have tested positive and 602 Americans have died. 87 of those are related to one senior home cluster in Washington state.
Data suggests that 80% of those infected have been able to recover at home, without medical intervention.
Data suggests about 10% of positive cases are completely asymptomatic.
Meanwhile, the National Guard is ramping up to lockdown major cities, to be announced as soon as April 1st, if not sooner. Locked down as in no one in, no one out. They will be under the rule of martial law…The fun is just beginning….
HEY,DAN….GE healthcare is going to step up production to help the virus. BUY G E…NOW!!!!
Will someone please tell me and all my neighbors why they plowed last night? Practicing?.And take a look at the condition of Oak Hill Road. Deplorable.
City plows destroyed the curbing in my neighborhood, big chunks of asphalt all over people yards. Since the Mayor, City Council and the Mayor’s new wonder boy Morales don’t seem to feel that need to work for their pay during this pandemic, they evidently have a lot of free time on their hands, possibly they could all hop on one of the Pittsfield School buses, preferably one that is overdue and in need of service and tour the City to see what a mess it is. They can all ride along and joke and laugh at how they are screwing us taxpayers. I know Governor Baker is out straight right now but I wish after this pandemic he could come to Pittsfield and kick our official’s butts. They are pathetic.
Oak Hill pays mucho tax to.
Won’t be Martial Law
Picture what might be going on in the minds of the astronauts on the space station. They can actually see the grim reaper as he moves from country to country.
Bill Gates says the US missed its chance to avoid coronavirus shutdown and businesses should stay closed
Gates said the United States missed its chance to avoid stay-at-home orders because it didn’t act fast enough on the pandemic.
He added that the U.S. needs to ramp up its testing abilities.
opens his mouth a lot wider than his wallet, he will make billions in profit from the bailouts
Scum bags with virus from n y headed to the berkshires corona unknown?
To all those in SSDI another 1500 coming your way. You can thank Nacny.
Bill Gates is a globalist and climate activist. His foundation helped set up and fund Event 201 in Oct of 2019, which was a pandemic simulation eerily similar to the current pandemic. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation owns the patent to the coronavirus and is working on a vaccine. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Google “Event 201” and see what you think!
https://jamesfetzer.org/2020/02/bill-gates-world-economic-forum-ran-coronavirus-outbreak-simulation-just-6-weeks-before-the-real-outbreak/
37 Berkshire confirmed cases as of 4pm Tuesday, 24 March.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-cases-in-massachusetts-as-of-march-24-2020/download
Dan. The stimulus will be passed. The clowns on both sides will get theirs. They’re all in on it. You don’t have a two thousand point correction in one session where there is nothing new to report? Rich get richer.
Wayfair employees working from home?How ingenious.
The Mayor continues to be silent. But if she has a Proclamation, you’ll be hearing that.
Based on your info, the mortality rate is .012%
Certainly not world wide it isn’t.
And we’re less than 4 hours away from nyc
Broadway has invaded the Berkshires.