Baker pushes colleges to lead state into ‘near normal’

BOSTON — It was nearly two years ago to the day, February 2, 2020, that the first known case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Massachusetts. The case was from a student who traveled to Boston, where he attended UMass Boston, from Wuhan, China.

Late last week, as the state was preparing for what would become a historic blizzard, two Baker-Polito Administration officials sent a letter to public and private college and university presidents urging them to lead the state out of the pandemic.

Together, our goal must now be to transition the COVID-19 pandemic into an endemic. A highly contagious virus that is manageable and allows us to regain a sense of normalcy,” said Education Secretary James Peyser and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.

The letter represents the first significant mention of a strategy to reach the “endemic” in Massachusetts. Officials reference the virus and new tools, including rapid testing.

Sudders and Peyser call it a careful transition in which those who test positive or show COVID-19 symptoms are still the focus but call for colleges to loosen restrictions.

“Overly strict protocols that inhibit any level of social interaction are counterproductive, at this time. Now is the time to reconsider these protocols to help promote a return to healthy social interactions, including remote learning; restricting or discouraging group activities; overly aggressive surveillance testing; and mask type requirements,” stated Peyser and Sudders.

There is also mention of concerns over students’ mental health. More than a year ago, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley spoke out during a board meeting about the negative impact of remote learning on public school children. It was the subject of a Boston 25 News story.

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