Governor Baker pushes flu shots; The courts plan for jury trials


BOSTON (AP) – Getting flu cases this year is the best way to help state defenders counteract any potential new surge in coronavirus cases that increase demand for health care services, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday.

Public health officials have warned that an increase in both diseases could put pressure on state hospitals and the health care system, Republican Boston’s Rosalindale told a news conference at neighboring CVS Pharmacy.

“As we continue to fight the Covid-1 fight, it’s important that we do as much as possible to reduce the impact of the flu and other respiratory diseases,” Baker said. “The rise of the flu and Covid-19 in the Commonwealth at exactly the same time will be an extremely difficult situation for them to manage their way.”

Students in the state must also be pressured to make sure they get flu shots, Baker said. He said the vaccination rate for current elementary students is 1%, but the state can do better.

Public health officials in the state announced last month that all students and children aged six months and older will need flu shots at childcare, preschool, K-12 and college colleges and universities in Medicaid.

The state is also stockpiling additional flu shots, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Merillo Suders.

Specifically, the state receives 900,000 doses from the flu season. This year, the state will increase it to 1.15 million doses, or about 28%, Sutters said.

During the 2019-2020 flu season, 40,000 cases of the flu were reported to the state public health department. About 6,600 people in the state died, according to Suders.

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Northeastern students

The Boston Globe reports that eleven Northerston University students were disqualified for violating campus social distance guidelines when they were found in the same hotel room after paying back most of the costs of the semester, the Boston Globe reports.

The university originally said the students would not be returned. But in a letter received by the Globe, the university said it recognizes that before classes begin, at the beginning of the semester, and sanctions result in a loss of university resources and tuition. “

Students were notified by letter on Thursday that their semester-long dismissal would be bha, but students would no longer have to cover the full cost of their program of $ 36,500. Northeast holds 8,740, according to the newspaper.

Baker defended the university’s decision to expel 11 students for the fall semester earlier this month.

“Rules were rules. They were installed next. Everyone certified them and they broke them, ”Baker said earlier.

He said it was “terrible” for the students and their families, but added that the experience of college has changed.

“It’s really important, especially during this time when the kids come back to school. Everyone appreciates the fact and accepts that Just Ledge just wasn’t like last year or a year ago.”

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Court plans to return jury trials

The state’s Supreme Judicial Court on or after October 23, respectively. The jury is planning to resume trials.

The first phase of the scheme will involve a limited number of six-person jury trials, with more than one trial being conducted at each location at a time and a number of locations to be selected individually, with limitations on the number of selections. Challenges available to each party.

Court officials expect Phase 2 to begin in February, although plans can be made to resume jury trials in response to a change in the rate of coronavirus transmission in the state.

Courts will continue to conduct most of the business virtually and court-houses will continue to be physically open to the public for limited purposes, including some personal proceedings.

Judges will continue to conduct bench trials, virtually or individually.

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Updated virus number

Massachusetts health officials on Thursday noted 419 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 15 additional deaths related to the virus.

According to the state’s public health department, more than 124,000 confirmed cases have been reported in the state and 9,051 people have died.

The daily new case-day rolling average in Massachusetts has risen from more than 5 new cases in the past two weeks to more than 36,365 on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. .

The 7-day average of the positivity rate in Massachusetts has risen slightly over the past two weeks, though it remains below 1%, Johns Hopkins said.

The number of people involved with the disease in state hospitals was 377 on Thursday, up from 352 the day before.

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