Alarming Jump In Coronavirus Cases Among MA Kids: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Friday, April 9. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Positive coronavirus tests in recent weeks show people under the age of 19 accounting for a bigger proportion of active COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts.
• Lee Delaney, BJ's Wholesale Club's CEO, died unexpectedly Thursday according to the company.
• A massive concrete sculpture conceived as an "instrument for a cacophony of global mourning" is coming to Massachusetts next month, coinciding with a spring when coronavirus vaccines are bringing hope of an end to the pandemic.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Positive coronavirus tests in recent weeks show people under the age of 19 accounting for a bigger proportion of active COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts.

The alarming uptick comes the same week as most public elementary school returned to in-person classrooms full time and as the state pushes school districts to bring older students back to the classroom.

Related Story: Some MA Residents Eligible To Get Vaccinated In NH

The rise in cases reported by state Department of Public Health Thursday mirror weekly reports from school districts, which have also shown an increase in confirmed cases among students in recent weeks. Positive tests for staff members, however, have dropped.

Officials note a variety of reasons for the increase beyond a resumption of in-person learning, including increased testing.

Read the full story.

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Friday's Other Top Stories

BJ's CEO dead at 49: Lee Delaney, BJ's Wholesale Club's CEO, died unexpectedly Thursday according to the company. The statement said his death was presumed to be due to natural causes. "We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the passing of Lee Delaney," said Christopher J. Baldwin, the chairmen of BJ's board of directors, in a statement. "Lee was a brilliant and humble leader who cared deeply for his colleagues, his family and his community."

"Mourning sculpture" in North Adams: A massive concrete sculpture conceived as an "instrument for a cacophony of global mourning" is coming to Massachusetts next month, coinciding with a spring when coronavirus vaccines are bringing hope of an end to the pandemic. "The Pipes" by sculptor Taryn Simon and architect Shohei Shigematsu was created in 2016 as an indoor installation in New York City. Originally, professional mourners from cultures around the world used the concrete structures to amplify their mourning rituals.

Seeing is believing: The much-anticipated Green Line extension into Somerville and Medford is expected to be fully completed by December, but part of the new rail system is slated to open ahead of schedule. Officials plan to begin service on the Union Square branch in October, according to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak's March 29 presentation on bringing transit systems back to pre-pandemic levels.

Tips, tricks and info on getting a coronavirus vaccine appointment: We have up-to-date information to help you book a vaccination appointment in Massachusetts.

Learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts at Patch's information hub.

They Said It

"The best of the best."

• Waltham City Council vice president Kathleen McMenimen on James E. "Jim" Regan, who died March 24. Regan served on Waltham City Council for 32 years.

Only In Massachusetts: Why Is The Liquor Store Called The Packie?

Only In Massachusetts is an occasional series where Patch tries to find answers to questions about life in Massachusetts. Have a question about the Bay State that needs answering? Send it to dave.copeland@patch.com.

If you ever asked where our slang term came from, you were probably told it's because the Boston Brahmins wanted drinking to be discreet. So, the story goes, they used their clout to get laws passed requiring liquor to be packaged discreetly in nondescript, brown paper after it was sold.

Hence, the package store.

But food historian Robert F. Moss says that origin story came from the historical research method he calls "just making stuff up." That story, after all, doesn't explain why the term is also used in South Carolina, where the Brahmins had no influence over lawmakers.

Read the full story.