Page 6 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, July 24, 2020 ~ Editorial & Opinion ~ Uber and Lyft continue to have unfair advantage over taxi companies F or the past 11 years, taxi companies that have been around for decades have been struggling to compete with rideshare companies, most notably, Uber Technologies, Inc. and Lyft, Inc. We believe that healthy business competition is good for the consumer; however, there needs to be a level playing field. That has not been the case with the taxi and rideshare companies. Unlike the taxi companies, Uber and Lyft are somehow exempt from state regulations. We also agree with the lawsuit recently filed by Attorney General Maura Healey maintaining that Uber and Lyft drivers are employees rather than independent contractors. Therefore, they should be protected under the state’s wage and hour laws. This protection would grant them the right to receive minimum wage, overtime pay and earned sick time. “Uber and Lyft have built their billion-dollar businesses while denying their drivers basic employee protections and benefits for years,” said Healey. “This business model is unfair and exploitative. We are seeking this determination from the court because these drivers have a right to be treated fairly.” Why this has not been the case right along is beyond comprehension. Market them anyway you want, but at the end of the day, Uber and Lyft are also taxi companies. Last year alone, Uber reported revenue of $14.1 billion while Lyft reported revenue of $3.6 billion. Clearly, they can afford to treat their employees fairly and obey the state’s regulations. State Rep. Lipper-Garabedian to host virtual office hours July 28 S tate Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian announced that she and her office will hold virtual office hours for constituents on Tuesday, July 28, from noon to 1 p.m. Constituents will be able to speak with the office by computer or phone. Lipper-Garabedian’s office hours are always open to the public to enable residents to speak directCOVID-19 | FROM PAGE 1 presented. Responses range from sending students and staff members home if they display symptoms, to shutting down school districts if a severe enough COVID-19 outbreak is determined. According to the DESE guidance, there are no “one size fits all” mitigation plans, and “the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in schools will not be zero,” despite any steps that are taken. “It is not one mitigation strategy but a combination of all these strategies taken together that will substantially reduce the risk of transmission. No single strategy can ever be perfect, but all strategies together will reduce risk,” according to the guidance document released Friday. Scenarios described in the DESE document cover all areas of school activities, including whether students or staff are symptomatic on the buses or at home or while attending in-person classes. A form of tracing is stressed in the document, including notifying close contacts if a student or staff member is either symptomatic or tests positive for COVID-19. The entire report may be J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping viewed on the DESE website at doe.ma.edu. It is titled “Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios.” The document reads, “A safe return to in-person school environments will require a culture of health and safety every step of the way.” Some of the protocols “Staff must monitor themselves for symptoms daily and students, with the assistance of families, must also be monitored daily for symptoms. Staff and students must stay home if feeling unwell. Everyone must do their part to protect others and not come to school if they are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms or are feeling sick. “Masks are among the most important single measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. We require students second grade and above and all staff to wear masks that adequately cover both their nose and ly with her and her staff about any issue. Typically, Lipper-Garabedian will conduct monthly office hours on the last Tuesday of each month. Constituents interested in participating in virtual office hours should contact Rebecca Bueno by e-mail at Rebecca.Bueno@MAHouse.Gov or phone (617) 722-2020 to receive the link and phone number for the office hours. mouth. Younger children are strongly encouraged to wear masks. Exceptions must be made for students with medical, behavioral, or other challenges who are unable to wear masks/ face coverings. “Hand hygiene is critical. Students and staff are required to exercise hand hygiene (handwashing or sanitizing) upon arrival to school, before eating, before putting on and taking off masks, and before dismissal. “Physical distance greatly reduces the risk of transmission. As COVID-19 is transmitted through respiratory droplets, putting distance between yourself and others reduces risk. In classroom settings, when all parties are wearing masks, a minimum of three feet of separation is needed; if one or both parties are not wearing masks, six feet is needed. (Kindergarten and first grade students without masks may be three feet apart, but no less, which is permissible given the lower susceptibility of the age group). “Cohorts/assigned seating. Students organized in groups/ classrooms and other cohorts help mitigate transmission of the virus. Assigned seating is important because it effectively creates even smaller groups within cohorts which minimize transmission. Assigned seats can also assist with contact tracing. Wherever possible, seats should be assigned (including classroom, bus, and meals). “To support a culture of health and safety, schools must have robust and reliable ways to communicate with all families, students, teachers, and staff in order to send and receive key messages related to COVID-19.” DESE has mandated that school districts must submit a preliminary reopening plan by July 31. Malden Supt. Oteri and his staff have been working closely with the Re-Entry Advisory Task Force to formulate Malden’s reentry plan. A second DESE deadline of Aug. 10 is when districts must finalize their plan and release them publicly to the community, as they submit them to DESE for review.
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