Bells Ring At Otherwise Silent Churches Amid Continued Shutdown

People are celebrating Easter Sunday in different ways, connecting with the friends and relatives through the use of technology and as bells rang from churches where they used to congregate.

The ongoing state of emergency, which began March 10, and urgency of social distancing is keeping people physically apart but an "all in this together" mantra has in many ways come to define the collective fight against COVID-19.

Churches in the Archdiocese of Boston planned to ring their bells at noon and Attorney General Maura Healey's office reports that calls went out to encourage the same practice statewide, across faiths.

The Old South Church in Boston rang its more than 2,020-pound bell, live streaming it. The People's Baptist Church was also to ring its Paul Revere Bell, Episcopal churches agreed to participate, and the Massachusetts Council of Churches asked its members to join.

Dee Savage of Gloucester, brought the idea up to Healey and the Boston Archdiocese, according to a Healey aide, and received a call from Cardinal Sean O'Malley on Saturday to thank her.

The Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 22,860 residents have confirmed COVID-19 cases, 686 people have died from the respiratory disease, and the number of people hospitalized for coronavirus continues to rise, at 2,120.

"We are about to have a very difficult couple of weeks here in Massachusetts, and it could be three weeks and it could be four depending upon how this whole thing plays out," Gov. Charlie Baker said during his daily virus update on Friday.

Baker had no public events or press briefings planned for Easter Sunday after visiting a Somerville mask decontamination site on Saturday that will greatly assist the effort to protect health care workers from themselves becoming infected. The governor also doubled down on the call for everyone to stay six feet apart from one another and to wear masks if they are in situations where that might not be possible. Between 20 percent and 40 percent of infected people have no symptoms, Baker said, and could easily transmit COVID-19 to someone more vulnerable.

• Baker's Easter Messages: Gov. Charlie Baker has no planned public events or media briefings on Easter Sunday, according to aides. The governor in the morning Tweeted an Easter message from his office's official account, writing, "Wishing you and your family a #HappyEaster! The celebrations may look different this year, but they are still an opportunity for us to reflect on faith and family, which are more important now than ever." From his personal account, Baker also Tweeted a YouTube video of Grand Rapids Symphony musicians performing "Hallelujah" remotely through a video conference. "Practically perfect for the moment #bravo," the governor wrote.
• Kennedy: Pass Vote-By-Mail Now: Noting that the Legislature has expressed interest in addressing ballot access for candidates, U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III urged state lawmakers not to forget voters in the process and approve a vote-by-mail program for 2020. Kennedy is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey. He wrote a letter Saturday that was sent to all state representatives and senators. "Every single registered voter in our Commonwealth should be mailed a ballot, guaranteeing that no one has to risk exposure to a deadly virus to exercise their right to vote," Kennedy wrote. Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii already use vote-by-mail, and Kennedy said that New York, New Hampshire and Maryland have taken steps to making voting easier during the pandemic. The Senate on Monday plans to vote on a bill that would cut by half the number of signatures candidates for federal, county and Governor's Council seats would have to collect to qualify for the ballot. Kennedy said that with the end of the pandemic uncertain and the possibility of a fall resurgence projected by some experts, passing a vote-by-mail law immediately will also assure that voters can participate in the process. "In the age of coronavirus, no one should be forced to choose between their health and their right to vote," he wrote. President Donald Trump has raised concerns about fraud when discussing the possibility of a national vote-by-mail program.
• Crisis Pushes Tranpo Taxes Down Priority List: Time will tell but it doesn't sound like Senate President Karen Spilka is eager for that branch to take up more than $600 million in new transportation taxes approved by the House before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. During a CBS Boston interview with Jon Keller, Spilka said transportation infrastructure is not an area that the state can kick down the road, but pointed to interest on the Senate side in an $18 billion borrowing plan for transportation that has also moved through the House and was initially recommended by Gov. Charlie Baker. "I do not have any tax increase on my radar right now," Spilka said. The crisis has shifted priorities, she said, identifying COVID-19 response and ensuring that the economy "stays as strong as it possibly can be" as two top priorities that encompass things like saving lives and ensuring the flow of jobless benefits, aid to small businesses, and funding for hospitals. Asked if public employee contracts will need to be renegotiated, Spilka said she didn't know and would have to see. Bond bills require roll call votes, which are not allowed in the types of informal sessions the Legislature is operating under, and any member present at sessions can halt the progress of any bill, which creates a much higher hurdle for bills than under normal circumstances.
• Balance Key in Eviction Bill, Spilka Says: Senate President Karen Spilka touted solid communications among state leaders during the virus crisis, but on Sunday also hinted at a source of underlying tension on legislation intended to protect renters and homeowners from losing their homes during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Striking a balance that also involves building owners, she said, is key to the House and Senate reaching agreement on bills that on Thursday were sent to a conference committee for resolution. Both the House and Senate appear united in wanting to protect struggling homeowners and renters, but some landlords and building owners are also facing financial difficulties. Spilka mentioned measures in the Senate's bill that would delay, rather than forgive, rent and mortgage payments. "We're very clear, people are still responsible for their rent, for their mortgage, it just may be delayed," she said. The Senate approach lets cities and towns work out agreements with landlords on property tax due dates, she said, and utilities are working with building owners on payment alternatives. The House and Senate have struggled in recent weeks to find common ground on the eviction moratorium bill.
• Spilka Rips Trump on COVID-19 Response: While showing frustration with the federal government, Gov. Charlie Baker has mostly steered clear of directly criticizing President Donald Trump over the state's inability, so far, to get the COVID-19 personal protective equipment Massachuseetts needs. That's not the case with Senate President Karen Spilka. During an interview with Jon Keller of CBS Boston that aired Sunday morning, Spilka mentioned Trump's claims this week about being in "great shape" on PPE and not getting any calls from governors. "I don't know what planet he's on to be blunt," Spilka said. When Keller asked her about Trump's daily outlining of extensive efforts the federal government is undertaking to fight the virus, Spilka said, "I dont know what they're doing. But clearly I believe they're not doing enough." However, the Ashland Democrat, despite adding that "unfortunately states are on their own," concluded: "I believe that Massachusetts will come out, a few more weeks, will come out okay in the long run." Meantime, she identified hospitals and community health care centers becoming overwhelmed with virus patients as her biggest concern.
• New York Antibody Testing Begins: New York Gov. Mario Cuomo on Friday outlined plans in that state for antibody testing, which his office described as "a key component of any plan to reopen the economy." The New York governor said the state is conducting 300 antibody tests, with plans to conduct 1,000 per day by Friday, and 2,000 per day the following week. Cuomo said New York's state lab was developing an antibody test that he said is "fast and noninvasive."