Coronavirus US Update: Massachusetts Emerges New Hot Spot, NY Gov Cuomo Rushes Ventilators

A few weeks ago, when New York City was at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo was seeking to take respirators from less affected rural areas of the state to treat patients in NYC. On Sunday, he vowed to send 400 respirators to neighboring Massachusetts, where the number of new cases is beginning to surge.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said, “We’re right in the middle of the surge now” on the CBS News program “Face the Nation” Sunday.

The focus will be on Boston where, like NYC, the hardest-hit areas are expected in densely populated zones with people of minority ethnicities. Vice President Mike Pence said the White House is closely watching the Boston area. Dr. Deborah Birx who is leading the federal task force said officials are “very much focused” on Massachusetts.

One of the biggest challenges to enforcing COVID-19 prevention guidelines is the weather. The northeastern states enjoyed a gentle winter but the urge to be outside in the warmer spring temperatures is proving to be irresistible for some Bostonians.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh seemed exasperated at people who were out golfing, playing soccer and congregating in large groups over the weekend despite the stay-at-home advisory. There were reports of people playing golf at closed golf courses where police had to be called to tell them to leave.

The fair-weather lured others out to play soccer or just walk and socialize causing the mayor to comment, "This shouldn't have happened. You shouldn't have to be told... That was an extremely irresponsible move,” referring to the golfers. He later sent a statement via Twitter that said, "We won’t hesitate to send police officers to deliver the message and -- if necessary -- deliver citations.”

Walsh also announced that schools would remain closed for the remainder of the school year. He said, "I'm not too confident we're going to have school this year.” He explained that reopening for just a few weeks in June does not make sense.

Massachusetts will be one of the first states to try large-scale contact tracing, a labor-intensive process through which public health officials attempt to identify and warn each person who had close contact with someone carrying an infectious disease. The state has budgeted $44 million for the program.

The city in Boston can take some solace in that the Boston Marathon scheduled to run Monday is not canceled but instead postponed until Sept. 14 when hopefully the pandemic has ended.

One often ignored point may explain why it is so difficult to control the coronavirus pandemic in large urban areas in the U.S. In South Korea or Japan, for example, vehicles with loudspeakers can broadcast messages reminding and even reprimanding people who are not following guidelines like social distancing, hand washing and wearing face masks in a single language. In Boston, the public work trucks with speakers are doing just that but they must do it in seven languages making it seven times more difficult for everyone to get the message. It only takes one person to continue the COVD-19 pandemic.