Boston, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) and members of the Task Force on Coronavirus & Equity issued an open letter to Governor Baker, urging him to delay increasing indoor capacity limits by moving to Step 1 of Phase IV of his Reopening Plan.
“We urge Governor Baker to heed the warnings of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Rochelle Walensky of the Centers for Disease Control, and local public health experts, who have cautioned that lifting COVID-19 mitigation measures now could lead to a fourth wave of infections and deaths,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos.
“Moving to the next stage of reopening before sufficient numbers of people have been vaccinated is both premature and reckless,” continued Pavlos. “We implore the Governor to be patient and to prevent more avoidable illness and loss of life by delaying any changes related to indoor venues for a minimum of four weeks.”
Step 1 of Phase IV includes an increase in the gathering limits for indoor venues to 100 people, opening of dance floors at indoor events, opening of overnight camps, and opening of exhibition and convention halls, among other measures.
BOSTON, MA– Co-Chairs of the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition – Dr. Atyia Martin of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition, Eva Millona of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and Carlene Pavlos of the Massachusetts Public Health Association – today released the following statement today in response to Governor Baker’s announcement of additional funding for the Vaccine Equity Initiative.
“The Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition appreciates that Governor Baker is taking steps toward addressing the persistent racial inequities in Massachusetts’ COVID-19 vaccine rollout and that he is listening to our coalition of Black, Latinx and immigrant leaders across the Commonwealth who have organized and demanded change. We hope this signals the administration’s willingness to begin a productive dialogue with community leaders about vaccine equity.”
“That said, equity will be found in the details. One month ago, the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition demanded that Governor Baker allocate $10 million for community-based organizations and engage them directly in the implementation of the rollout. It is unclear what part, if any, of the administration’s newly-announced investments will be used for this purpose. We need assurance that the 20% additional allocation of doses promised in the administration’s original plan is now available to the hardest hit communities – something that we did not hear in this announcement. We also want to hear that the administration has set benchmarks to track their own progress and hold themselves accountable to close these gaps.”
BOSTON, MA – Dr. Atyia Martin of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition, Eva Millona of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and Carlene Pavlos of the Massachusetts Public Health Association released the following statement today:
“We were pleased to hear today from Governor Baker and CIC Health about efforts to provide vaccination access for residents who live in the vicinity of the Reggie Lewis Center vaccination site in Roxbury. We appreciate the efforts of all partners involved. But state data makes one thing clear: the Baker Administration is simply not getting the job done.
“The most recent state data shows that White residents have received 15 times the number of vaccine doses as Latinx residents and 13 times more than Black residents – after a year in which Latinx and Black residents have suffered and died at rates far higher than White residents. These numbers have not budged in the last three weeks. Given these numbers, our state’s strategy must change, and it must change now.
BOSTON, MA – A new report released today outlines the challenges facing regional public transit riders all across Massachusetts, and recommends specific actions for the State Legislature and Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) to ensure that public transportation helps the Bay State recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This timely report, Increasing Regional Transit Accessibility Across the Commonwealth, was published by MASSPIRG Education Fund, Transportation For Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Public Health Association, and Conservation Law Foundation, and is available to download here.
“A disproportionate number of low income residents, older adults and residents with disabilities rely on RTAs to access basic needs,” said Alexis Walls, Assistant Campaign Director for Massachusetts Public Health Association and co-chair of the RTA Advocates coalition. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, RTAs have been crucial to preserving the health and wealth of over 250 cities and towns outside of the MBTA service area. The state can no longer ignore the role RTAs play in advancing regional equity. An investment in RTAs is an investment in the future of transportation.”
Boston, MA – Today the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) issued a statement praising the Legislature for calling oversight hearings to investigate the Baker Administration’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. MPHA has repeatedly expressed disappointment regarding the Administration’s lack of engagement with leaders in the communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
“The COVID vaccines are an incredibly valuable tool in the fight against this disease,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos. “But to bring an end to this pandemic, we must ensure that those communities with the highest rates of infection and death have real access to the vaccines.”
“Black and Latinx communities have borne a disproportionate burden of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths,” continued Pavlos. “Yet, we are seeing that they have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the state. There must be both accountability and change, and we applaud the Legislature for calling oversight hearings to investigate this and other issues related to the vaccine rollout.”
Today, the newly-formed “Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition” issued a set of five demands to Governor Baker to address the serious racial inequities plaguing the state’s vaccine rollout. The coalition, comprised of 11 civil rights, immigrant justice, and public health organizations, raised the alarm as vaccination rates for White residents are far outpacing those for Black and Latinx residents that have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has exacerbated the already deep structural inequities in our country, resulting in a disproportionate impact on communities of color and immigrant communities. These disparities underscore why our vaccine rollout must be centered on those who have been most impacted by this crisis,” said Eva Millona, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. “Our coalition has come together to urge our governor to act with the urgency and on the scale that this crisis demands to embrace a more equitable vaccine rollout plan – one that includes input from Black, brown, and immigrant leaders. We look forward to working with Governor Baker to turn these recommendations into reality.”
State data show that Black and Latinx residents have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But now with vaccines finally available, White residents have received the vast majority of the state’s vaccine doses. As of last week, White residents had received 12 times more doses than Black residents and 16 times more doses than Latinx residents.
The coalition today called on the Governor to:
2/17/21 Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition Press Conference Recording
Five Demands for Governor Baker: English | Spanish | Vietnamese
Boston, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) issued the following statement on social media, in response to the announcement by Governor Charlie Baker that, as of tomorrow, caregivers of residents over 75 will be eligible to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.
“Governor Baker’s announcement today that caregivers of residents 75+ will be eligible for a vaccine promises to speed up vaccine distribution in MA, but as a standalone policy, it also promises to exacerbate devastating racial inequities in the roll out. As the Boston Globe reported today, White residents have received 14x as many doses as Black residents and 11x as many as Latinx residents.”
“Simply put, this is an outrage, and it must be the Governor’s top priority to remedy this. The fact that we heard nothing about this from the Governor today is a serious failure of leadership. The Governor should immediately announce companion policies, including funding for outreach and engagement in communities of color, immediate implementation of the 20% additional allocation promised to the most impacted communities, and improved access for non-English speakers, among others. MA can and must solve this problem, and we need Charlie Baker to lead.”
Boston, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) issued a statement of support for An Act Effectuating Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination (SD699/HD1283), which was filed today by State Senators Becca Rausch and Sonia Chang-Diaz and State Representatives Liz Miranda and Mindy Domb.
The Act will require Governor Baker to appoint a full-time Director of COVID-19 Vaccination Equity and Outreach, who will plan and implement actions to overcome inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates, which are rooted in historic and current racism; biases based on ethnicity, income, primary language, immigration status, or disability; and other limitations, such as access to transportation and/or the Internet.
The Act will also get vaccination information & support directly to people in the hardest-hit communities through partnerships with local organizations, create a mobile vaccination program designated to reach communities with the highest rates of COVID-19, and increase transparency and accountability of the state’s vaccine efforts.
“This Act includes crucial actions for achieving equity in vaccination rates,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos. “We have safe and effective vaccines — now we must make certain that those who are most impacted by structural racism, poverty and xenophobia have equitable access.”
“A focus on equity benefits everyone,” continued Pavlos. “We will only succeed in controlling this virus by directing resources to communities with the highest rates of infection and death. We must work diligently and in partnership with trusted local leaders to ensure that residents have the opportunity to be vaccinated quickly.”
Boston, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) issued a statement calling on the Baker Administration to take the necessary steps to assure equity in the rollout of its vaccination plan. MPHA expressed disappointment regarding the Baker Administration’s lack of engagement with communities hardest hit by the pandemic – especially low-income communities of color.
“Like so many others, we are excited and hopeful to have safe and effective vaccines against the coronavirus,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos. “Our challenge now is to make them widely available, as quickly as possible, and to prioritize those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic, especially residents in low-income communities of color.”
“We will not be successful in containing this virus without supporting the communities with the highest rates of infection and death,” continued Pavlos. “When we focus on equity and bring resources to those who are most impacted, everyone benefits.”
Click here to read the January 22 Newsletter
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Massachusetts Public Health Alliance
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