Skip to content
Apply
Stories

Study shows Mass. residents relaxing on social distancing, contributing to coronavirus surge

People in this story

WGBH, November 2020

Although news of a second highly effective vaccine offers great promise, Massachusetts is currently averaging more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases a day, and public health experts are sounding the alarm about the surge of cases the state might experience this winter. A new study from a consortium of universities measures the ways in which Massachusetts residents have let down their guard in terms of practicing social distancing over time. To discuss, Jim Braude was joined by David Lazer, a Northeastern University professor and researcher with the group that produced the study, The COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States; and Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett, vice chair of primary care innovation and transformation and program director of the department of family medicine at Boston Medical Center.

Watch the interview on WGBH.

More Stories

01/15/26 - BOSTON, MA. - Northeastern students, faculty and staff filled the East Village 17th floor event space for the annual A Tribute to the Dream event to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 15, 2026. The event featured President Joseph E. Aoun, Ted Landsmark, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern's College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, '15, White House correspondent at The New York Times, and musical performances. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Landsmark urges continued vigilance to honor the legacy of MLK

01.16.2026
01/06/26 - BOSTON, MA. - Ted Landsmark, Northeastern Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Director of the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center, poses for photos next to the “Watson and the Shark” painting by John Singleton Copley in the Museum of Fine Arts on Jan. 6, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Ted Landsmark: portrait of a leader

01.14.2026

How Donald Trump Should Tackle America’s Population Crisis

01.20.26
In the News