Health Archives · Page 13 of 33 · New England News Collaborative

One Challenge To Reopening Schools: Finding Enough Teachers

December 21, 2020

Just after Thanksgiving, Falmouth High School Principal Mary Gans got a call: the school had a positive case. Twelve of her staff members were considered “close contacts” and had to quarantine immediately. “I just [did] not have the ability to cover all of their classes, even for the rest of the day,” Gans said. “There just weren’t the…

‘As Scary As A Virus In Some Ways’: Mental Health Concerns Grow As Remote Schooling Continues

December 21, 2020

Across the country, there are middle and high school teachers begging their students to turn on their Zoom cameras. You can read their angst-ridden posts on Twitter and Facebook. I can hear their pleas coming from the laptop in my 14-year-old son’s bedroom (he rarely turns on his camera, by the way). The frustration and…

These Youth Mentors Search For Students Gone AWOL In A Pandemic

December 18, 2020

John Williams, who works on behalf of the public schools in Brockton, wanted to know why 16-year-old Glen hadn’t logged into his remote classes since the school year began in September. So he called Glen’s mother, who said she’s tried and tried to get her son out of bed and online, but he won’t listen.…

Early Indications Suggest Far Fewer Rural Maine Students Looking To Attend College

December 18, 2020

Between remote and hybrid classes, the pandemic has drastically altered education for high schoolers this fall and left many students and parents frustrated and dissatisfied. And those feelings could be having a major impact on how many students — particularly those from rural Maine — may choose to go on to college. As the school…

Clients, Staff Say Major New Hampshire Addiction Treatment Center Mishandled COVID Outbreak

December 14, 2020

The minute Peter Rosasco walked into Green Mountain Treatment Center in Effingham, he knew there would be problems. “It was just a ticking time bomb, that place,” Rosasco said. It was mid-November, and his mother, Susan Axelrod, was bringing Rosasco to residential treatment as part of a plea deal he reached over recent drug charges.…

Vermont Works To Slow COVID-19 Outbreaks At Nursing Homes As Vaccine Approaches

December 10, 2020

In recent weeks, eight of Vermont’s eldercare homes have experienced outbreaks of the coronavirus, and the vast majority of the state’s recent COVID-19 fatalities have come from those events. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that house elderly people are some of the most at risk for outbreaks of COVID-19. Residents are often housed…

More Massachusetts Residents Than Ever Have The Coronavirus. Where They Caught It Is The Mystery

December 4, 2020

Like many people who get COVID-19, Maddy Alvarez, a 35-year-old Revere resident, can’t be certain how the coronavirus got into her home. But once it did, it was uncontainable. First, her husband Marco came down with it. He had muscle aches and a fever, but he had also experienced those symptoms just a few weeks prior. He tested negative…

With COVID-19 Vaccines On The Horizon, Vermont Prepares To Distribute Shots

December 4, 2020

The first COVID-19 vaccines could be in Vermont in just a few weeks. The state health department says an initial supply of the shots could be in its warehouse by Dec. 15. The early supplies of the vaccine will be limited, which means the state must decide who gets the first shots. Public health officials…

COVID-19 Closed Showers for the Homeless. Quick Thinkers Came to the Rescue.

December 3, 2020

This spring, precautions against COVID-19 closed some of the few showers open to people who are homeless and living outdoors, including one in the basement of the Duffy Health Center in Hyannis. Now, with a little ingenuity and some help from the state, showers are back — in a special trailer that meets COVID-19 protocol.…

Massachusetts Scales Up Contact Tracing, But Some Experts Question Its Value

December 3, 2020

Lauren Buck’s days start early, compiling the names of people in Revere who have tested positive for COVID-19. The calls begin a few hours later and often last until 8:30 or 9 at night. “There are a lot of people who are very, very cooperative and there are people who can be very scared or…

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