Hey, there! Log in / Register

Boston indoor vaccine mandate starts Saturday: One restaurant asks the unvaccinated to be civil; leader of anti-vaxxer cops group is relieved of duty

Boston begins the first phase of its new vaccine mandate for public spaces on Saturday - you'll be supposed to show proof you've gotten at least one Covid-19 shot to enter a restaurant, gym, theater, museum or the Garden.

In advance, Sophia's Grotto, a small Italian restaurant in Roslindale Square, is asking the unvaccinated not to take it out on restaurant employees.

If you disagree with this mandate, please do not take it out on the person asking for the vaccination card. They are simply following the rules. Life is challenging enough for everyone right now and we ask that you continue to respect our team and treat them with kindness as they do to you.

Meanwhile, the Globe reports BPD Sgt. Shana Cottone "was placed on administrative leave due to an internal affairs investigation." She heads a group of Boston first responders that has taken to trailing Mayor Wu and screaming at her or using loudspeakers to blare sirens. BPD declined to say what the investigation is about, but the Globe report includes a photo of Cottone screaming at Wu during her announcement of the new vaccine mandate - inside City Hall and not wearing a mask, in violation of a rule requiring one inside indoor spaces.

At a press conference this morning, Wu said she is aware of the action but has no further information about it.


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

I understand I will need my passport when entering the second floor of the Garden when attending an event. My question is the concourse at the Garden which has fast food restaurants and a full service bar is controlled by the MBTA so will I need to show my vaccine passport on the concourse?

up
Voting closed 0

Or are we supposed to carry the physical card. The messaging on this has been piss poor.

up
Voting closed 0

You can show a photo of it on your phone.

Or, you can use the new state QR code, just announced today.

up
Voting closed 0

From the Globe: Sergeant Shana Cottone was placed on administrative leave due to an internal affairs investigation that is “active and ongoing,” said Sergeant Detective John Boyle, a department spokesman. Boyle declined to comment further.

Two problems. First, this lack of detail hands the narrative over to officer covid caren who blabs to the Globe about tyranny and freedom of speech and blah blah blah. Second, the BPD doesn’t enjoy a ton of trust or confidence — even in cases like this where they may be right — which lends credence to the officer caren and prevents others from supporting BPD when they otherwise would.

So what’s the downside of saying “this is why we suspended officer covid caren?” Try being a leader, BPD, explain what you did and why. Give transparency a chance, give us something to believe in.

up
Voting closed 0

First, I cannot help but be skeptical that they are not trying to silence Cottone by suspending her. That said, if this is a real HR issue, they cannot divulge information about an ongoing investigation. She does work in a department within the BPD that handles controversial matter. Again, not to say that she did whatever she is accused of, but if this is a real matter, they cannot splash it on the front pages of the news.

up
Voting closed 0

Now she has even more time to protest. If anything, I would expect this to embolden her efforts.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this. Without knowing the details that we (understandably) don't know right now, I'm not going to cast judgement on accused wrongdoing, but it should go without saying that if you are going to bring attention to yourself, you may also be bringing attention to yourself.

We've certainly had some recent discussions on here about the roles of unions; you certainly could not argue that she had an avenue to bring about employment related grievances through her union that would not have brought about individual attention to her status in the department.

up
Voting closed 0

She is, as one theory goes, facing retribution for speaking out.

You may not have known it, but I was providing you with her concerns about being forced to be vaccinated when we tussled about this in the recent past. She's pregnant and worried about the affect of the vaccines on her pregnancy. She's had one difficult pregnancy in the past from what I've heard about (I know her husband, which I will note is more distant than claiming friendship with the guy, but a few years ago we had a conversation where his wife's work and the family overall was brought up.)

up
Voting closed 0

Scientists and doctors and the experience of vaccinating millions of pregnant women say that her fears are unfounded ... and that she is, in fact, endangering herself and her soon to be child as getting COVID can be lethal.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on COVID vaccination during pregnancy.

But that carries no weight against a copy/paste meme she saw on facebook that was posted by her mother's chiropractor's aunt's herbalist. Sure.

up
Voting closed 0

It's explanations like yours that causes people to think that there still could be a problem.

I'll write what I wrote a week or so ago. The City should agree to be liable if there are long term effects. After all, they are requiring the shots as a term of employment. That would show good faith and a true belief that the shots are safe. And remember, I'm at the boosted level, so it's not me you (or Wu) needs to be preaching to.

up
Voting closed 0

if a city-owned vehicle has a fault that causes an accident? Or if a city-issued laptop has a battery fire? After all, the city was the one that required that the employee use that car, laptop, etc. There are lots of things that a job might require, it'd be pretty unreasonable to expect that the employer should take on liability for any and all possible issues with those that might arise.

up
Voting closed 0

Can you cite precedent for what you are proposing?

up
Voting closed 0

Or are you saying the vaccines may be unsafe?

up
Voting closed 0

I'm just trying to think of examples of some sort of a transfer of liability like you are describing and I'm coming up dry. Usually, agreements I see regarding liability are the ones absolving a party of any.

But what would anything I've said on this issue to date suggest that I was ever saying that these vaccines were unsafe? Surely not my frequent references to public health experts that repeatedly say that these vaccines are both very safe, and highly effective at preventing the most severe of consequences, especially for those at increased risk from this disease from various conditions, one of which being pregnancy.

up
Voting closed 0

The point is that the employer is forcing the employees to get vaccinated under pains of termination. At that point the person is not accepting the risks. If the City truly believes that the vaccines are safe, they could back that up with assurances other than "of course it's safe." Now, again, I think the shots are safe, though I am keeping a close eye on the little one because of the remote risk of problems with his very tiny cardiovascular issue. Those that need convincing would appear to want the City to show it's support for the vaccines.

up
Voting closed 0

They just want another entity that they can sue for imaginary damages.

up
Voting closed 0

All the more reason for BPD to come out and give some clear reason for why they suspended her! Was it that she made an ass of herself, disgraced her uniform and her colleagues? Or that she broke indoor mask rules? Or is it just retribution, as she alleges? Don’t let her set the narrative and build goodwill, instead prove to the rest of us that you have the good reason to suspend her (many of us are inclined to believe you!).

I get that transparency is scary and hard, it’s far easier to hide your pedophiles and domestic abusers in union and police leadership positions (too soon?). But the best time to start building trust is a while ago — and the second-bast time is today.

up
Voting closed 0

Is this your way of trying to sneak some misogyny into your post in hopes you won’t get called out for it?

up
Voting closed 0

It isn't like she is throwing a tantrum and yeeting merchandise at the heads of workers in a store or something. She is using proper channels to make a proper ass of herself, but there is a difference.

up
Voting closed 0

I'd say she sorta falls in the karen group in my book just by the mere fact alone that she leads a group of first responders that trails Mayor Wu and screams at her or uses loudspeakers to blare sirens... add in the anti-vax piece and she is the poster-child for 'karen'

up
Voting closed 0

and i guess i could always just hit the x button on my browser (still can, can't believe i haven't) but i really don't think you've shown your work concerning *why* you think "Karen" is a misogynist slur, outside of linking to a few internet think pieces.

up
Voting closed 0

… do your own research.
There is plenty of information out there.
But if hasn’t clicked by now you just might be hopelessly clueless.

up
Voting closed 0

the point that you constantly ignore is that “Karen” doesn’t refer to or suggest any traits that are inherent to women. further, there’s no history of “Karen” being used to broadly subjugate women. instead, it refers to a specific set of behaviors exhibited by white women of a certain socioeconomic standing. you can very easily see how that would differ from slurs like the n-word or b-word, right?

up
Voting closed 0

asking the unvaccinated not to take it out on restaurant employees

Why do I have a feeling that people will do exactly that?

up
Voting closed 0

up
Voting closed 0

Thanks for the reporting on this, Adam.

Do you or anyone else know if you need to show proof for a takeout order?
I'm vaxxed but not spending any time sitting down or at gyms, etc.

Do we need the proof to come in for a pickup?

Thanks for any informed answers.

up
Voting closed 0

it's just for eating in the restaurant. Take out doesn't require proof, but does require a mask as currently.

up
Voting closed 0

WGBH talks to her and she says why she was put on leave - she doesn't exactly deny anything, but says she's being investigated for trumped up charges based on "distortions" of what really happened.

up
Voting closed 0

and the deadliest year on record for police in America.

Of the 458 police officers who died in the line of duty in 2021, 301 were killed by COVID.

The prior year only recorded 295 TOTAL police line of duty deaths; more cops died in the line of duty from COVID in 2021 than all causes of line of duty deaths in 2020!

https://www.police1.com/police-heroes/articles/2021-was-deadliest-year-e...

up
Voting closed 0

Does anyone know if this applies to food halls or food courts that are open to a mall or building like Boston Public Market of Faneuil Hall and how it might be implemented? Do they just close the seating areas?

up
Voting closed 0