Miley Chen
//Examining Mayor Michelle Wu’s controversial COVID policy.//
If anything has been persistent during COVID-19, it is the presence of protocol and controversy. As mask mandates and weekly testing have become routine, lawsuits and protests have as well. On December 20, Mayor Michelle Wu added another protocol to Boston’s list in the form of her B Together Plan. Following the announcement of the plan, former Republican state lawmaker Geoff Diehl tried to rally Bostonians against the policy. Although the sheer number of rules regarding COVID can feel suffocating at times, the added safety Mayor Wu’s plan will bring is worth the restriction.
The B Together Plan will attempt to encourage vaccinations in Boston by requiring proof of vaccination at certain indoor spaces in Boston that offer “indoor dining, including bars and nightclubs, indoor fitness, [and] indoor entertainment.” Proof of vaccination includes a CDC vaccination card, an image of a CDC vaccination card, an image of any official immunization record, or any COVID vaccine verification app. The plan will be implemented in four steps: by January 15, those aged 12 or older must show proof of one dose of vaccination to enter indoor areas; by February 15, those aged or older than 12 must show proof of full vaccination which includes two shots of Pfizer or Maderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson; by March 1, the one dose mandate extends to those aged 5 and up, and by May 1, children 5 and up must have proof of full vaccination. Mayor Wu’s policy also requires employees of indoor establishments and city employees to show proof of vaccination. Additionally, businesses will be required to “place a public notice at the front entrance stating that proof of vaccination is required.”
Although they may seem tedious, Bostonians should think of these measures as COVID screening questions. Entry to indoor locations will only be delayed by the few seconds it takes to glance over proof of vaccination, and the new policy has already garnered results. Mayor Michelle Wu stated, “Boston saw a jump in COVID-19 vaccinations the week before the city’s new proof of vaccination mandate went into effect, with 81% of residents now having received at least one dose.” Accessibility and ease regarding the B Together Plan also factor into the plan. The new B Together App provides an easy way to store and access vaccination records. Businesses will also be provided with easy access to the public notice, which can be found online, or picked up at select locations in Boston.
An increase in vaccinations is desirable, but Mayor Wu’s B Together Plan has received a fair amount of criticism. Former Republican state lawmaker Geoff Diehl stated that the new plan was in “clear violations of the civil rights of anyone who lives in, works in, or travels to the city.” However, in 1905 Supreme Court Case Jacobson vs. Massachusetts, the Supreme Court outlined situations in which civil rights do not apply. The court stated, “real liberty for all could not exist under the operation of a principle which recognizes the right of each individual person to use his own, whether in respect of his person or his property, regardless of the injury that may be done to others.” In other words, the ruling declared that liberty can only exist so long as people refrain from doing things that could endanger others; thus, actions that present a risk to others are not protected by the constitution. Since it is proven that vaccination against COVID-19 protects not only yourself, but also others, it would follow that vaccination mandates do not infringe upon any civil rights.
Another flawed critique of the B Together Plan is that it does not accommodate religious exemptions. While city workers may obtain medical or religious exemptions for the vaccine, most religions practiced in the United States are actually accepting of — if not actively supporting — vaccination. For example, most major Christian Churches support vaccination and “have actively pushed against being used as justification for religious exemptions in the United States.” For many, it seems as if religion is a convenient excuse against vaccination.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s B Together Plan is a necessary step toward limiting the potential damage COVID-19 can cause in Boston. America is built on a working relationship between the legislation and the people, and that relationship is a two-way street. Legislators have the obligation to adhere to the needs of the people and to protect the community. It is clear that Mayor Wu is trying to make it as easy as possible to follow the guidelines of the policy: the four-step plan, B Together App, public notices, and exemptions have all been designed around access for Boston’s community.
Mayor Michelle Wu at Press Conference
