Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 DESE extends mask requirement in schools T he state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently announced that the school mask requirement will be extended until at least January 15, 2022. DESE, in collaboration with medical experts and state health offi cials, will continue to evaluate and consider other criteria that could be used in the future to lift the mask requirement based on public health data. School offi cials will continue to be able to lift the mask requirement if they can demonstrate that at least 80 percent of all students and staff in a school building are vaccinated after submitting documentation to DESE. Lifting the mask mandate through the vaccination threshold is a local decision made by school and district leaders if they choose to take advantage of it. “Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccination rates for adults and eligible children, and in anticipation of the vaccine becoming available in the coming weeks for children ages 5 to 11 years old, this extension of the mask requirement will allow time for the elementary school population to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “This will be another big step forward in our eff orts to keep school safe for our kids.” “Masks remain a simple and eff ective measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep students in school safely,” said DESE Commissioner Jeff rey Riley. “Together with the Test and Stay program, high vaccination rates, low transmission rates in schools and all the hard work in keeping our students safe, our kids are able to stay in school where they belong and can fl ourish.” The following mask requirements will remain in eff ect: • Public school students ages fi ve and older in all grades and staff are required to wear masks indoors in schools, except when eating, drinking or during mask breaks. • All visitors are expected to wear a mask in school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. • Masks are not required outdoors. • It is strongly recommended that students younger than fi ve also wear a mask in school. • Students and staff who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, and students who cannot wear a mask for behavioral reasons, are exempted from this requirement. • All districts are required this school year to provide in-person learning to all students. Since the start of the year, approximately 920,000 public school students have been learning in schools with minimal disrupYour Hometown News Delivered! EVERETT ADVOCATE MALDEN ADVOCATE REVERE ADVOCATE SAUGUS ADVOCATE One year subscription to The Advocate of your choice: $100 per paper in-town per year or $120 per paper out-of-town per year. Name_________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City_______________ State_______ Zip ____________ CC# _______________________________ Exp. _____ Sec. code____ Advocate (City):___________________ Clip & Mail Coupon with Credit Card, Check or Money Order to: Advocate Newspapers Inc. PO Box 490407, Everett, MA 02149 tions. This progress has been possible thanks to masking and school communities working together to participate in the state’s COVID-19 testing program, combined with high vaccination rates among eligible populations. Massachusetts has become a national model for COVID-19 surveillance and rapid testing in schools. More than 2,200 public and private schools have opted into either one or multiple forms of testing that the state is providing free to all schools. DESE and the Executive Offi ce of Health and Human Services launched a groundbreaking Test and Stay program for students identifi ed as close contacts in school, allowing students to be tested daily and remain in class if they test negative. This innovative approach has saved students across the Commonwealth more than 48,000 days of in-person learning this school year. In August the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the DESE commissioner the authority to require masks for public school staff and students (ages five and older) in all grades through at least October 1, 2021. The commissioner said he would revise the requirement as warranted by public health data. SECURITY | FROM Page 2 currently have over 50 students enrolled, in addition to various community partners and offi cers who donate their time to support our athletes. It’s a lot of work, so I’m grateful to have people such as Sgt. Dennis Hickey, Sgt. Joseph Internicola, Offi cer Emilio Fusco, Offi cer Guido Patrizzi, Offi cer Bryan Brenes, Offi cer Kenen Resic, and the current WBC USNBC Silver Welterweight Champion out of Everett, Greg the Villain Vendetti. We’re quickly outgrowing our space, and hope to expand in the near future with the support of our community. We’ve developed a safe space for students to exercise and develop fundamental skills necessary for the sport. Q: What does public service mean to you? A: To me, public service is about integrity. It does not require a uniform; it’s how you treat people without the badge on. I believe that we need to take care of one another, support our neighbors, and set a good example for our children, who eventually will become the future leaders of this GREAT city. Tips and Tools for Family Caregivers Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any resources that off er help to family caregivers? I’ve been taking care of my 86-year-old mother and could use some help. Burned-Out Brenda Dear Brenda, Caring for an aging parent or other loved one over a period of time can be very challenging both physically and mentally. Fortunately, there are a number of tips and services you can turn to that can help lighten the load. Here are several to consider. Assemble a care team: A good fi rst step is to put together a network of people including family, friends and even neighbors that you can call on to help out when you can’t be there or need a break. Tap local services: Many communities off er a range of free or subsidized services that help seniors and caregivers by providing things like home delivered meals, transportation, senior companion services and more. Call 211 to fi nd out what’s available in your community, or call AARP’s caregiving resource center (877-333-5885), which provides referrals to local resources. Use respite: Respite services can provide short-term care to your mom so you can take some time off . To locate services in your area, try the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center at ARCHrespite.org. Hire in-home help: You may want to consider hiring a part-time home-care aide that can help with things like preparing meals, housekeeping or personal care. Costs can run anywhere from $12 to $30 an hour depending on where you live and the qualifi cation of the aide. To fi nd help through an agency, use Medicare’s search tool Medicare.gov/care-compare. Or to fi nd someone on your own, which is a more aff ordable way to go, try websites like Care.com or CareLinx.com. Use financial tools: If you’re handling your mom’s fi nances, you can make things easier by arranging direct deposit for her income sources and set up automatic payments for her utilities and other routine bills. Also, consider setting up your mom’s online banking service at her bank so you can pay her other bills and monitor her account anytime. If you want or need help, there are professional daily money managers (see AADMM.com to locate someone) that can do it for you. They charge between $60 and $150 per hour. Also, if your mom is lower-income use Benefi tsCheckup.org, a free, confi dential website that will help you locate fi nancial assistance programs that can help pay for her medications, utilities, health care, and other needs. Get insurance help: If you have questions about what Medicare or Medicaid covers, or about longterm care, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free counseling on all these issues. Call 877-839-2675 or visit ShiptaCenter.org to locate a nearby counselor. You can also get help at Medicare.gov or by calling 800-6334227, and through the Medicare Rights Center, which staff s a helpline at 800-333-4114. Tap other resources: There are a number of other organizations you can draw on for additional information like the Family Care Alliance (Caregiver.org/family-care-navigator), which provides a state-by-state listing of caregiving programs and services; Caring.com, which off ers caregiving advice, senior housing information and online support groups; the Alzheimer’s Association (ALZ. org/care), which provides information unique to the challenges of dementia caregivers; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (www.caregiver.va.gov), which offers caregiver support services to veterans and even spouses of veterans. And, if you happen to be sharing care responsibilities with others, sites like LotsaHelpingHands. com and CaringBridge.org can help you coordinate together. Take care of yourself: Make your own health a priority. Being a caregiver is a big job that can cause emotional and physical stress and lead to illness and depression. The only way you can provide the care your mother needs is to make sure you stay healthy. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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