Mayor Marty Walsh predicts that we will be dealing with a COVID World in 2021 and even into 2022 by continuing with mask wearing and social distancing even after a vaccine is available.
Marty Walsh, a Democrat, has been the Mayor of Boston since 2014. He was previously a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1997-2014 and a member and leader of the Laborers’ Union.
In an interview with WKXL’s Chris Ryan, Marty Walsh discusses his support of former Vice President Joe Biden, states how President Trump has mismanaged the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, explains why expanding testing is critical in fighting the Coronavirus, projects what will be needed in a post-COVID economy, calls for increased spending on mental health programs, and asks for appropriate compensation for the people who stocked the shelves and cleaned our schools and workplaces during the pandemic.
Mayor Walsh believes that Joe Biden will provide New Hampshire and the country with needed leadership, and he lists a number of examples of President Trump’s shortcomings.
In the beginning phases of the pandemic and even up to today, Marty Walsh says that there were no clear answers, there was mixed messaging coming out of Washington about the virus. The Mayor states that the lack of a national plan of attack and passing the HEROES Act has crippled the economies of Boston, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and many other parts of the country.
Although testing capacity has been greatly increased, Marty Walsh explains how expanding testing capacity even more would help municipalities to get a better handle on how the virus is affecting an area and to respond accordingly. Improved contact tracing would give needed information about demographics and neighborhoods. As a result, responses could be fine tuned to specific areas or groups.
Mayor Marty Walsh gives the dire prediction that we will be dealing with a COVID World in 2021 and even into 2022 by continuing with mask wearing and social distancing even after a vaccine is available. He also believes that it is vital that, going forward, the White House and the CDC-Center for Disease Control be consistent in their messaging on how to deal with the virus.
In respect to how Boston will deal with the challenges of a post-COVID economy, Marty Walsh believes that his city will make a strong recovery, especially if there is a Biden administration in Washington, DC. A critical factor in bouncing back from the economic effects of the pandemic is quickly passing a bill to improve the infrastructure. Building roads and bridges would give a boost to the economy of the New England region.
In the conclusion of the interview, Mayor Marty Walsh identifies the many stresses which have arisen during the pandemic and calls for increased spending for mental health and substance abuse programs. In addition, the Mayor asks us to think about providing appropriate compensation for the unsung heroes of the pandemic who stocked the shelves and cleaned our schools and workplaces.
