Issue Position: COVID-19 Response

Issue Position

Covid-19 has effected every aspect of life: our health, our jobs and the economy, our schools and communities, how we worship and how we grieve.

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Our state must respond to both the public health and economic damage of Covid-19.

More than 200,000 people have died from COVID since March; 9,500 Massachusetts residents among them. It is a staggering loss of life in a six-month span.

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Public Health Response

We must continue to follow the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus until we have a vaccine that has been properly tested. Once available, it must be distributed equitably.

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At the same time, we have to deal with the damaging and far-reaching effects of this public health and economic crisis.

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The profound dedication and selflessness of our health care workers during the darkest days of the Covid-19 onslaught moved and inspired us. These front line workers in our hospitals and health care facilities deserve not only our respect but also good pay and PPE; they should not have to rely heavily on de-contamination and re-use practices to do their jobs.

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I will support our health care workers affected by this public health crisis by:

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Supporting emergency paid sick time for any worker to quarantine due to COVID-19 or care for a family member who must quarantine

Supporting priority testing for all healthcare workers, including home care workers

Ensuring sufficient supply of PPE in hospitals and healthcare facilities so workers don't have to rely heavily on decontamination and re-use practices. Our state must have an ample supply and the means to distribute it equitably.

Sixty percent of Coronavirus deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities. When a loved one of a nursing home patient could not be there, often it was the nursing assistant who brought them together using their phone to FaceTime, sometimes praying with the resident and their loved one. This humanity is beautiful. But it's not a replacement for strong, competent leadership and accountability.

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I will push to increase protection for Veterans and all residents and staff in Long Term Care facilities by:

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Strengthening oversight of these facilities to ensure proper preparation and standards of care as a condition of licensing

Requiring Long Term Care facilities to report deaths to their local Boards of Health

Assisting Unemployed Workers and Small Businesses

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The economic crisis precipitated by Covid-19 and the failure of our President to lead an effective response means people will struggle for some time against the tide of lost income and access to health insurance.

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I will support people impacted by the catastrophic damage of this economic crisis by:

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Ensuring the continued availability of Unemployment to laid-off workers in all sectors as well as vital assistance to individuals and small businesses.

Supporting measures to keep people housed, including a moratorium on evictions due to Covid-19. I will file legislation to impose a moratorium on foreclosures aimed at specifically assisting the owners of small, owner-occupied homes dependent on rental income.

Working to increase access to childcare, without which families cannot work or supervise their children's remote learning. As Congresswoman Katherine Clark said recently, "Child care is infrastructure."

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I will support our local economy by:

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Working with small businesses to identify resources and measures to assist restaurants and small businesses who are struggling to stay afloat amidst necessary restrictions

Supporting our communities and the local economy through continued state Chapter 90 and transportation funding for essential local projects in Danvers, West Peabody, and Middleton.

Identifying and supporting economic development opportunities for our communities.

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Education During the Pandemic

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The difficult work of schooling during the pandemic will require a capacity to anticipate problems and solve them.

While our students, their parents, and our educators have risen and are rising to the incredible challenges of remote teaching and learning, our state government should assist with technology and troubleshooting.

I will support our families, teachers, and schools by:

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Advocating for stronger support from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to assist our schools with technology and resources to make remote learning work in every one of our schools: urban, suburban, rural, regional, and Charters.

Pursuing cost-sharing arrangements with towns and cities.

Funding the Student Opportunity Act.

I will steadfastly support equity in all facets of our public education system (and throughout state government). As a product of the Danvers Public Schools, Westfield State College, and the University of Massachusetts, I know well the irreplaceable role our public schools play in creating opportunities for all students. We must invest in education from pre-K through college.

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