In It Together

Restaurants across Massachusetts can now operate with no restrictions on capacity. That's the decision from Governor Charlie Baker.

It's getting mixed reactions from health experts, and from restaurateurs themselves. Arun Rath speaks with two. First, we hear from Nancy Caswell, owner of Oak and Rowan in Boston and Brine in Newburyport, who says the end of capacity limits is scary but necessary.

Then, Arun checks in Emma Hollander of Starlite Management Company, who believes restaurant workers should be prioritized for vaccines. She says her company won't be seating people indoors until all staffers have been vaccinated.

Our lives are more online now than they've ever been. While it makes tasks like grocery shopping and keep in touch with friends and family, more convenient, it also opens the door for those looking to take advantage of our wider online existence.

Host Arun Rath with Stuart Madnick, professor of Information Technology at MIT and the founding director of Cybersecurity at the MIT Sloan School of Management, about this and what we can all do to protect our personal information.

Arun Rath speaks with Stephen Curry, public health director for the city of Fitchburg and chair of the Montachusett Public Health Network. Curry says that so far, central Massachusetts has been left behind in the state's vaccine rollout.That could soon change, with Governor Charlie Baker announcing the formation of eleven regional collaboratives that will set up vaccine clinics across Massachusetts.

Olivia Adams, a software designer in Arlington, is the brains behind the website macovidvaccines.com.

Her site helps people get actual appointments by taking government data and using speedy private web servers to get people set up with their shots.

We’ll hear more about the inspiration behind the site and how it works.

Arun Rath speaks with Heidemarie Floerke, a language teacher at the Boston Latin School. Floerke has been frustrated with the limitations of teaching virtually, but she's found a way to connect her students with great art, and a great artist. Together, they've created a song.

A new food program in Boston pays restaurants to prepare and serve meals to women in need in the city.

It's called "Lunch is on Us" and it's organized by Women's Lunch Place, a daytime shelter and advocacy center.

Arun Rath speaks with the organization's executive director Jennifer Hanlon Wigon about the program.

Arun Rath speaks with Jessie Magyar, School and Family Programs Manager at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art. The ICA has put together free art kits - curated by museum artists - for Boston Public School children.

Today is the second day of February vacation week for Massachusetts schools.

It's usually a time for carefree travel, a break from school work, and spending time with friends.

Not this year, thanks to new classmate COVID-19.

For teachers and staff, it's a balancing act between ensuring your students learn and keeping themselves safe.

GBH’s Mark Herz speaks with Merrie Najimy, President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, about their push to get teachers vaccinated quickly and get students back in classrooms safely.

Mark Herz fills in for Arun Rath and speaks with GBH News reporter Craig LeMoult about how vaccination centers across Massachusetts are working to ensure that no doses are wasted. It's a delicate process as the state increases distribution.

Frontline workers are continuing to have problems getting personal protective equipment. To find out where and why that’s still the case, Arun Rath speaks with Dr. Shikha Gupta from Get Us PPE. The organization started taking PPE donations last March and distributing the equipment to groups in need. Its efforts have only grown since.

And Arun gets a different angle on problems with supply lines for essentials from Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih, who offers a primer on the Defense Production Act and what effect it might have if President Biden invokes it.