Good Morning Gloucester

From Massachusetts Department of Public Health today Aug 19 2020 that (with some expemptions)  as a requirement of entering school  January 2021, flu vaccines will be required for children. This includes day care, preschool, K-12, and colleges/universities.  From their press release:

State public health officials today announced that influenza immunization will be required for all children 6 months of age or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, K-12, and colleges and universities. The new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and ​the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students will be expected to have received a flu vaccine by December 31, 2020 for the 2020-2021 influenza season, unless either a medical or religious exemption is provided. Also exempted are K-12 students who are homeschooled and higher education students who are completely off-campus and engaged in remote learning only. This new flu immunization requirement to enter school in January is in addition to existing vaccine requirements for all those attending child care, preschool, K-12, and colleges and universities in Massachusetts. Elementary and secondary students in districts and schools that are using a remote education model are not exempt.

Additional information here: https://www.mass.gov/news/flu-vaccine-now-required-for-all-massachusetts-school-students-enrolled-in-child-care-pre

This will be the first recipe in my cook book. Virgilio’s bread crumbs, Fisherman’s Wharf haddock and Capt. Joe’s lobster, of course. James Beard award here I come.

The Boston Celtics recently honored Billy Cincotta, 18, and Haley Blanchette, 20, of Gloucester, MA as ‘Heroes Among Us’ for saving five children from a rip current off the Gloucester end of Long Beach.

Billy, who was working at Cape Ann Motor Inn on Rockport Road heard the cries for help and immediately enlisted the help of Haley. The two of them use a surfboard to retrieve the five children from the water without the help of any lifeguards, who didn’t arrive until after the children were brought to safety.

For their courageous, life-saving actions, the Boston Celtics chose to honor Billy Cincotta and Haley Blanchette as ‘Heroes Among Us.’

For those of you away from “home” and missing the waves at the back shore……this is for you.

Did you know Gloucester had a connection with Thailand. I found this plaque on my walk today.

 

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