COVID-19 Roundup from Pioneer: Antibodies & immunity; Talking about WHO; Telecommuting Survey Results; Mapping COVID – Update; & more!

Pioneer staff share their top picks for COVID-19 stories highlighting useful resources, best practices, and questions we should be asking our public and private sector leaders. We hope you are staying safe, and we welcome your thoughts; you can always reach out to us via email:  pioneer@pioneerinstitute.org.

Our Top Picks for COVID-19 Pandemic News:

William Smith, Visiting Fellow in Life Sciences: Gilead drugs seems to work for moderately ill patients also. The CDC is still not certain about the level of immunity that antibodies provide. Details on the clinical trial for remdesivir.

Joe Selvaggi, Host, “Hubwonk“: Who is WHO? Pioneer’s Josh Archambault and I talk with Hoover Institution’s Dr. Lanhee Chen about the role that the World Health Organization plays, what dysfunction may have contributed to the scale of the current COVID-19 epidemic, and what steps can be taken to bring back transparency and trust. Listen now!

Michael Walker, Senior Fellow in Government Data Transparency: Don’t forget to check out our interactive map of COVID cases in Massachusetts, updated every week with newly released city and town data!

• NEW: With so many deaths occurring at long-term care facilities, in Massachusetts and other states, Pioneer has added a new COVID-19 tracker, with data from the state’s weekly Public Health Report. This data includes any nursing home, rehabilitation center or other long-term care facility with 2+ known COVID-19 cases and facility-reported deaths. It includes the number of licensed beds, ranges of case numbers, deaths, and deaths per bed for 320 facilities.  Pioneer will update the tracker weekly.

Jim Stergios, Executive Director: We are pleased to share the results and analysis of our recent telecommuting poll, and we are grateful to those of you who were among the 700+ participants. The poll results were covered in the Boston Herald, NECN, CBS Local, State House News Service and additional news outlets.

What’s the latest on unemployment? Greg Sullivan, Research Director, crunched the most recent numbers.

Our Picks for Public & Private Sector Best Practices:

Rebekah Paxton, Research Analyst: This week marks the start of possible reopening of Boston’s office spaces – are they prepared? Check out our new report on one major consideration – social distancing in elevators.

Jamie Gass, Pioneer’s Education Policy Director: This week on “The Learning Curve” podcast, a new poll finds that 1 in 5 teachers say they are unlikely to return to their classrooms if schools reopen this fall. Also on the show, Cara and Gerard talked with Dana Gioia, a poet, writer, and the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, on why the arts are so pivotal to the intellectual and civic development of America’s K-12 schoolchildren. Last week’s episode featured homeschooling expert, Kerry McDonald.

• Also, Pioneer released a new report and video promoting computer science education in K-12 schools, important now more than ever given our increasing reliance on online technology.

Questions for Our Public & Private Sector Leaders:

Barbara Anthony, Senior Fellow in Healthcare & Mary Z. Connaughton, Director of Government Transprency: “As of this writing, about 60 percent of Massachusetts’ 5,000-plus Covid-related deaths are nursing home residents. Some of those residents were receiving temporary rehabilitative services, others were in long-term care. Apart from overall number of deaths, we know little about the faces behind the numbers.” Read more in WGBH News.

Andrew Mikula, Peters Fellow, has been taking an in-depth look at COVID’s impact on regions across Massachusetts. Read his analysis here:

• Even for the most remote part of Massachusetts (Franklin County), it’s far from business as usual
• Once anchored by higher education, Hampshire County, MA finds itself out of work after a cancelled semester
• In Hampden County, COVID-19 exacerbates a stark employment divide between urban and rural areas
• As stay-at-home orders remain in place at the start of summer tourist season, COVID-19 takes a bite out of resort towns’ economies

POLL Results: In the last COVID Roundup, we asked: Do the reopening guidelines in your state make sense to you? Here are the results: 56% Yes; 44% No

Reader Question:
“How many towns in Massachusetts operating under open town meeting are having town meeting before July 1st, and how are they ensuring the safety of those in wishing to attend, or how are they ensuring that those that are part of a vulnerable population are not disenfranchised? Conversely, how many towns in Massachusetts operating under town meeting are deciding to postpone open time meeting until after the start of fiscal 2021, and how are they approaching their financials if so?”

• Pioneer is all over this. Be all the lookout for our new Open Meeting Law Violation Hotline!

Do YOU have interesting questions and/or articles to share with us? Please email us, or message us through our social media channels below!

Share our COVID-19 roundups: bit.ly/PIcovid

Join us on social media!

Transparency Needed at Long-term Care Facilities

0 Comments

/

April 17, 2020

The anxiety of having a parent in a nursing home under the constant…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Copy-of-Exhibit-A_-We-Need-Access-to-SFIs-Now-1.png 512 1024 Mary Connaughton https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Mary Connaughton2020-04-17 11:30:312020-05-28 09:35:09Transparency Needed at Long-term Care Facilities

Christensen Institute Co-founder Michael Horn on Digital Learning & COVID-19

0 Comments

/

April 17, 2020

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard continue coverage of COVID-19’s impact on K-12 education, joined by Michael Horn, co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Learning-Curve-6.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-17 09:59:472023-08-26 12:33:20Christensen Institute Co-founder Michael Horn on Digital Learning & COVID-19

COVID-19’s Impact on Rental Housing

0 Comments

/

April 16, 2020

The Massachusetts Legislature is currently debating a rental housing bill. What impact will it have on the many landlords for whom rental income is their only source of income?

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Copy-of-Exhibit-A_-We-Need-Access-to-SFIs-Now.png 512 1024 Shawni Littlehale https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Shawni Littlehale2020-04-16 13:01:552020-12-11 13:09:04COVID-19’s Impact on Rental Housing

COVID-19 Roundup from Pioneer: Will plans to re-open hurt civil liberties?; COVID-19 model skeptic; SCOTUS returns!; New podcast, HubWonk; 5 Tips for online learning & more!

0 Comments

/

April 15, 2020

Pioneer staff share their top picks for COVID-19 stories highlighting useful resources, best practices, and questions we should be asking our public and private sector leaders.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Exhibit-A_-We-Need-Access-to-SFIs-Now-7.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-15 14:31:492020-05-25 11:41:15COVID-19 Roundup from Pioneer: Will plans to re-open hurt civil liberties?; COVID-19 model skeptic; SCOTUS returns!; New podcast, HubWonk; 5 Tips for online learning & more!

Which industry’s workforce has been hurt the most from the COVID-19 outbreak?

0 Comments

/

April 15, 2020

Unemployment claims have reached all-time highs in the U.S. recently…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/african-american-woman-employee-facial-expression-furnitures-1181649-scaled.jpg 1709 2560 Andrew Mikula https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Andrew Mikula2020-04-15 14:19:542020-12-11 13:32:11Which industry’s workforce has been hurt the most from the COVID-19 outbreak?

New Study Calls for Re-thinking Massachusetts’ COVID-19 Care Standards

April 15, 2020

Pioneer's new study raises concerns about the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH’s) Crises Standards of Care (CSC) issued earlier this month, which bear the earmarks of a state bureaucratic effort and should be rethought under a process that includes a thorough vetting by Massachusetts citizens.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-16.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-15 08:30:542020-07-17 13:43:59New Study Calls for Re-thinking Massachusetts’ COVID-19 Care Standards

Pioneer Institute Launches Its New Policy Podcast, “HubWonk”

April 14, 2020

Pioneer Institute is pleased to announce the launch today of a new, weekly podcast called “HubWonk,” covering timely topics, with insights and in-depth interviews on the issues that affect our quality of life, ability to prosper, and liberties. 

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Pink-and-Blue-Visual-Creative-Job-Post-Twitter-Post-1.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-14 10:54:282020-05-25 11:43:27Pioneer Institute Launches Its New Policy Podcast, “HubWonk”

Will the COVID-19-related economic recession cause a spike in crime?

0 Comments

/

April 13, 2020

Intuitively, it makes sense that people replace legitimate business…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/grayscale-photo-of-chair-inside-the-establishment-162389-scaled.jpg 1707 2560 Andrew Mikula https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Andrew Mikula2020-04-13 11:45:022020-12-10 16:23:23Will the COVID-19-related economic recession cause a spike in crime?

New Report Offers Case Study for Transition to Online Learning

April 13, 2020

Virtual Schooling Pioneer Julie Young provides tips on how states should move forward with the transition to online education during COVID-19.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Exhibit-A_-We-Need-Access-to-SFIs-Now-6.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-13 07:36:232020-12-11 12:34:17New Report Offers Case Study for Transition to Online Learning

The Institute for Justice’s Tim Keller on Espinoza v. Montana DOR & ongoing school choice litigation

0 Comments

/

April 10, 2020

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard continue coverage of COVID-19’s impact on K-12 education, joined by Tim Keller, Senior Attorney with the Institute for Justice, which is representing the plaintiffs in the high-profile Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court,.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Learning-Curve-5.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-10 10:51:412023-08-26 12:33:58The Institute for Justice’s Tim Keller on Espinoza v. Montana DOR & ongoing school choice litigation

State Ranking: Michigan, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Nevada have been hardest-hit by COVID-19 jobless claims so far. Massachusetts ranks as 9th hardest-hit.

0 Comments

/

April 9, 2020

The U.S. Department of Labor reported today that in the week ended April 4, the advance number of seasonally-adjusted initial jobless claims was 6,606,000. This follows 6,867,000 initial claims filed in the week ended March 28 and 3,307,000 in the week ended March 21.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/coronavirus-news-on-screen-3970332-scaled.jpg 1706 2560 Greg Sullivan https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Greg Sullivan2020-04-09 16:32:092020-05-25 11:45:13State Ranking: Michigan, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Nevada have been hardest-hit by COVID-19 jobless claims so far. Massachusetts ranks as 9th hardest-hit.

COVID-19 Roundup from Pioneer: Tracking drug discovery efforts; Secrets to Germany’s success; Unemployment tsunami; Voc-techs answering the call; COVID prevalence by town & more!

0 Comments

/

April 9, 2020

Pioneer staff share their top picks for COVID-19 stories highlighting useful resources, best practices, and questions we should be asking our public and private sector leaders.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Exhibit-A_-We-Need-Access-to-SFIs-Now-5.png 512 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2020-04-09 11:45:312020-05-25 11:45:32COVID-19 Roundup from Pioneer: Tracking drug discovery efforts; Secrets to Germany’s success; Unemployment tsunami; Voc-techs answering the call; COVID prevalence by town & more!