Massachusetts

Measles case confirmed in Massachusetts for first time since 2020

Published

5 months ago

July 18, 2024

Press Room

Measles case confirmed in Massachusetts for first time since 2020

Massachusetts adult diagnosed with state’s first measles case since 2020

00:24

BOSTON – Massachusetts health officials said a person from Worcester County has been diagnosed with the first confirmed case of measles in the state since 2020.

The Department of Public Health said the person, who is an adult, recently traveled internationally.

Measles outbreaks in Europe

There are currently large measles outbreaks happening in Europe and elsewhere globally.

When the person returned to Massachusetts, the person was diagnosed with measles in early July 2024.

The last measles case in the state was early 2020.

Health officials said people who may have been exposed to measles from this case were contacted and provided with health recommendations.

The DPH said many of the cases in the United States have been connected to recent travel. There was an alert in June about an international visitor who traveled through Boston to Amsterdam while they were infectious.

How many cases of measles are there in the United States?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that as of July 11 there have been a total of 167 measles cases in 2024 around the country. A total of 84% of those cases were in unvaccinated patients or people with an unknown vaccination status.

“Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased worldwide, including here in the United States and in neighboring states in New England,” Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said in a statement. “Cases of measles have been reported in 30 states since the beginning of last year, mostly in people and communities who are unvaccinated. Vaccination is the best way to protect against measles.”

Anyone who does not know their measles immunization status is asked to contact their doctor to get vaccinated.

Matt Schooley

Matt Schooley is a digital producer at CBS Boston. He has been a member of the WBZ news team for the last decade.

Source link

Massachusetts

Bay State museums make great winter excursions

Published

32 minutes ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Bay State museums make great winter excursions

It’s cold and gray and the idea of heading outside is literally chilling. You need beauty, history, intrigue and warmth.

Fortunately the Bay State is blessed with fantastic museums, both major institutions and small, unique versions.

Consider adding these museums to your cold winter venture list.

The One With the Heist

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (https://www.gardnermuseum.org) is worth a winter visit for its beautiful indoor courtyard, lovely café and intimate art display rooms.

But there’s so much more. First, the story behind how the museum was founded is told via photos and written word along one wall of the museum. It’s a great story with a female lead: Isabella herself commissioned it all after the art collector inherited just under $2 million back in the late 1800s.

But then there’s The Heist: the largest and still-unsolved art theft that went down in the wee hours of March 18, 1990 is the stuff of legend – and documentaries. Read up – or watch up – on it before a visit.

The One With the Murder Mystery

Did Lizzie Borden take an ax? Head down to Fall River and spend some time in the home where the infamous murders took place on Aug. 4, 1892. The Lizzie Borden House (https://lizzie-borden.com) offers property tours, ghost tours, cemetery tours and even a 10 p.m. -midnight ghost hunt.

The day tours are the only time you get access to every room, including the one that Abby Borden, Lizzie’s stepmother, was murdered in.

You can stay overnight should you wish, sleeping (or staying awake listening for ghostly creaks) where it all happened.

Hosts share facts and encourage opinion and speculation about the murders, the existence of ghosts and more.

“The Trial of Lizzie Borden” by Cara Robinson is a perfect fireside read, and will get you up to speed on all the nuances of the case before you visit.

The One with the Cat in the Hat

You never grow out of Dr. Seuss, and a winter visit to The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield (https://seussinspringfield.org) is a great place to celebrate Theodor Geisel – his childhood in Springfield, creativity, success and more.

There are family friendly games, amazing displays and a setting that warms your heart. You’re treated to kid-friendly biographical information, and a Seuss trivia quiz.

The One With the Heroes

The Hull Lifesaving Museum isn’t big, but it packs a huge and amazing story.

Located in the former Point Allerton US Lifesaving Station on Nantasket Avenue (https://www.hulllifesavingmuseum.org) which opened in 1889 under the leadership of Joshua James who is considered a “father” of the US Coast Guard, the museum celebrates not just the founding of the Coast Guard, but “skills, courage and caring,” the hallmarks of sea lifesaving programs,

You’ll learn about the history of these lifesaving skills, the people who helped innovate those programs and more about the sea, ships and more.

The Museum has a standing collection as well as special exhibits and is open year-round. Before your visit, read up on the deadly Great Blizzard of 1888 in which more than 200 ships were either grounded or wrecked on the East Coast.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River. (Photo Mark Medeiros Photography)

Source link

Massachusetts

Search underway for missing woman Owen Kasozi in Beverly, last seen walking dog on Christmas Eve

Published

12 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Search underway for missing woman Owen Kasozi in Beverly, last seen walking dog on Christmas Eve

CBS News Boston

Live

BEVERLY – A search is underway in Massachusetts for missing woman Owen Kasozi, who police say is “possibly endangered.” Police said she was last seen on Tuesday at about 3 p.m. near the JC Phillips Nature Preserve in Beverly.

Her family tells WBZ-TV she was walking her dog at the time.

I-Team sources say police are looking into reports that Kasozi was walking or running after her dog when she went missing. A dog believed to be Kasozi’s was found wet in Topsfield, and her car was found nearby.

Missing woman Owen Kasozi

Photos provided by family

A Massachusetts State Police helicopter was helping to search the area around 801 Cabot St. in Beverly on Wednesday. Anyone who has seen Kasozi or has information is asked to call Beverly police at 978-922-1212.

Neal Riley

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

Source link

Massachusetts

What’s open and closed in Massachusetts on Christmas Day?

Published

21 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

What’s open and closed in Massachusetts on Christmas Day?

It’s Christmas Day! Time to open presents, be with loved ones and celebrate the beauty of giving. Even on Christmas, there are still a few places you can go for last-minute provisions. But can you go to the bank or post office or catch a bus?

Here’s what is open and closed on Dec. 25, 2024.

Government

City and town offices: Closed

State offices: Closed

Registry of Motor Vehicles: Closed

State and local courts: Closed

Federal courts: Closed

Finance

Banks: Closed. Most ATMs will remain open.

Stock market: Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed.

Alcohol and recreational drugs

Liquor stores: Open

Cannabis dispensaries: Massachusetts regulators don’t identify specific holidays when cannabis dispensaries must close, according to the Cannabis Control Commission. It’s up to the respective cannabis store as to whether they choose to be open or closed on Christmas Day.