No more statewide school mask mandate. What's next?

Also: The COVID family tree; a first for the Boston Fed [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 10, 2022 ⛅ Partly cloudy, with a high near 48 Good Morning Boston, Happy Thursday. Local school board members have a difficult decision to make in the coming weeks: to mask or not to mask. Here's what you need to know: - Gov. Charlie Baker's administration [announced Wednesday]( that it will let statewide mask mandate for Massachusetts public schools expire on Feb. 28, the first day back from February vacation. - Why? Baker pointed to the state's declining COVID-19 trends and relatively high vaccination and booster rates, as well as its [school testing programs](. He also cited an "extremely" low risk of COVID to children and developmental "consequences" of masks in schools, especially for younger students and those learning English as a second language. - The move effectively puts the decision of requiring masks in the hands of local school districts. For example, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said this week that the mandate will remain in place for the time being in Boston Public Schools. - Baker also said he "fully supports" students and staff who individually choose to keep wearing a mask, even in districts where the requirement is dropped. - Two reminders: Federal regulations still require masks on school buses. And officials didn't rule out reimposing the statewide school mask mandate in the event of a future COVID surge. - Following the announcement, the Archdiocese of Boston said it would also lift all mask mandates at parochial and Catholic schools in the Greater Boston area on Feb. 28. - Go deeper: The decision is hardly without controversy. Some local officials [told WBUR's Max Larkin that they're uneasy about the move]( given how quickly COVID can change. However, it comes as the tides have begun to turn against school mask mandates. NPR [recently reported]( that many international health agencies don't recommend masks for younger students, given evidence showing they can interfere with learning, brain development and social interactions. - In other COVID news, hospitalizations in Massachusetts continue to fall, dropping to 1,234 as of yesterday evening. That's half of where the number was three weeks ago. - There's a new Susan Collins in town (er, New England). Susan M. Collins, an economist and administrator at the University of Michigan, was [announced Wednesday as the next president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston](. She'll be the first woman of color to serve as president of the Boston Fed and just the second Black American appointed to lead any of the Fed's 12 regional banks. - It's official: Beginning in March, three MBTA bus routes — the [23]( [28]( and [29]( — will [become free to ride for at least two years](. The initiative expands (and extends) the fare-free 28 bus pilot that began in August to two other routes that also run along Blue Hill Avenue through some of Boston's lower-income neighborhoods. It's also a big first step in Wu's trademark objective of more broadly eliminating fares on public transit. - Whats's next? Blue Hill Avenue — a major commuter corridor for Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan — is also slated for [a big transformation in the coming years]( that will include center-running bus lanes. - Happy trails to Tuukka Rask, the winningest goalie in Boston Bruins history, who [announced his retirement from the NHL last night](. No, I'm not crying [at this tribute video]( you're crying! P.S.— Today at 1 p.m., WBUR newsroom fellow Aimee Moon is leading [a Twitter Spaces discussion]( about the Asian American experience in Greater Boston. What's your perspective? If you have a free minute, we'd love you to join the conversation — or just listen in! (You can do so on your phone or desktop computer.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [So far, Mass. residents have barely filed for COVID test reimbursements from insurers. Here's why]( Some health insurers in Massachusetts reported that fewer than one in 2,000 members took advantage of the program. Experts say there are a number of reasons that explain why. [Read more.]( [So far, Mass. residents have barely filed for COVID test reimbursements from insurers. Here's why]( Some health insurers in Massachusetts reported that fewer than one in 2,000 members took advantage of the program. Experts say there are a number of reasons that explain why. [Read more.]( [As major seafood watch list weighs 'red-listing' lobster, Mass. lobstermen push back]( Massachusetts lobstermen are pushing back on the description of their industry as unsustainable. [Read more.]( [As major seafood watch list weighs 'red-listing' lobster, Mass. lobstermen push back]( Massachusetts lobstermen are pushing back on the description of their industry as unsustainable. [Read more.]( [Take a look at SARS-CoV-2's family tree. It's full of surprises]( The family history of SARS-CoV-2 is not what virologists expected — and it sheds light on the coronavirus that launched a pandemic. Check out our illustration of the virus's family tree. [Read more.]( [Take a look at SARS-CoV-2's family tree. It's full of surprises]( The family history of SARS-CoV-2 is not what virologists expected — and it sheds light on the coronavirus that launched a pandemic. Check out our illustration of the virus's family tree. [Read more.]( [With evictions on the rise, House Democrats team up to push new housing protections]( Three Democrats are hoping to provide a legislative lifeline to tenants facing eviction. But the bill faces some steep hurdles in Congress. [Read more.]( [With evictions on the rise, House Democrats team up to push new housing protections]( Three Democrats are hoping to provide a legislative lifeline to tenants facing eviction. But the bill faces some steep hurdles in Congress. [Read more.]( [An unexpected item is blocking cities' climate change prep: obsolete rainfall records]( Cities are experiencing heavier storms and flooding as the climate gets hotter. But due to outdated rainfall records, many are still building infrastructure for the climate of the past. [Read more.]( [An unexpected item is blocking cities' climate change prep: obsolete rainfall records]( Cities are experiencing heavier storms and flooding as the climate gets hotter. But due to outdated rainfall records, many are still building infrastructure for the climate of the past. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Following the announced departure of BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, BPS teacher Neema Avashia [writes in this commentary]( about what's needed to avoid a wave of resignations among educators after two pandemic-strained years. - Who said the U.S. [wasn't winning any gold medals]( this Olympics? Americans have already claimed two more gold medals today in Beijing, before most of the country even woke up. We won't spoil who if you're waiting for the primetime broadcast, but NPR has more coverage [here]( and [here](. - “The Worst Person in the World," a unique Joachim Trier film about a woman navigating her 30s, is arriving in local theaters in the Boston area this week. WBUR critic Sean Burns [has a review of the literary but playful movie](. - From "Being Muholi" at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to a papermaking class, here are [five suggestions from our arts and culture team for things to do this weekend.]( What We're Reading 📚 - The Race to Free Washington’s Last Orca in Captivity ([Seattle Met]( - Where’s Liz Cheney? The Wyoming Republican’s Exile From Wyoming Republicans ([The New York Times]( - How Gloria Richardson’s Look of Righteous Indignation Became a Symbol of No Retreat ([Smithsonian Magazine]( Tell Me Something Good [Sixteen years after her infamous mistake, Lindsey Jacobellis is finally an Olympic gold medalist (The Boston Globe)]( After a disastrous decision cost her an Olympic gold medal in 2006, the American snowboarder finally got her hands on the elusive prize. [Read more.]( [Sixteen years after her infamous mistake, Lindsey Jacobellis is finally an Olympic gold medalist (The Boston Globe)]( After a disastrous decision cost her an Olympic gold medal in 2006, the American snowboarder finally got her hands on the elusive prize. [Read more.]( Before you go: Wait, we don't [actually sound like this]( do we? 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.