Linos: MA Should Restrict Indoor Activities, Prioritize Schools

BROOKLINE, MA -- In response to reports that COVID-19 case counts in Massachusetts are on the rise and with the impending arrival of college students from across the country, Dr. Natalia Linos, an epidemiologist and Democrat running in Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District, released the following statement:

“To avoid a resurgence of COVID-19, we need to re-evaluate our approach so that we make decisions based on science and what is best for our communities. I firmly believe that reopening schools safely must be our priority, not only for our children but also for our economy. To make reopening possible so that our teachers, staff, and students are safe, we need to lower our community risk in advance. This means immediately restricting indoor activities that require mask removal, such as indoor dining at restaurants, and reinstating restrictions on gyms, museums, movie theaters, casinos, and other indoor spaces where people are at greater risk of sustained exposure. As a mom and an epidemiologist, I understand these trade-offs are difficult. The Federal government must step in to provide significant resources and science-backed guidance to local and state authorities so that we can safely reopen, recover, and rebuild.”

In her 25-page COVID Recovery and Response Plan, Linos offered additional details on why and how reopening schools can be made a top priority:

• Massachusetts can only do so much on our own. To make school reopenings a possibility, the Federal government must provide more financial support to state and local budgets to ensure schools have the necessary financial resources to provide adequate protective gear, hire more staff to accommodate social distancing, and ensure teachers at higher risk can opt out of in-person teaching. Massachusetts child care centers alone are estimated to need $690 million in aid to survive the year.
• Congress must also continue offering aid to small businesses and workers impacted by closures, and extend unemployment benefits.
• To reopen schools, schools and school districts will need to innovate. This includes exploring use of libraries as additional space for social distancing.
• Schools are of primary importance to our economy and our future, and for working parents and kids. Working moms face a particular burden, and the challenges of work-life balance with kids out of school threatens to stall long-term progress toward gender equality in the workplace.

To learn more about Natalia Linos, visit nataliaforcongress.com