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| Tanglewood, Musical Haven in the Berkshires, Cancels Summer Season | Tanglewood, Musical Haven in the Berkshires, Cancels Summer Season |
| (7 days later) | |
| Summer after summer, the Boston Symphony Orchestra retreats to its seasonal home: Tanglewood, a bucolic and beloved outdoor destination for music, tucked away in the Berkshires. New England’s vacationers and classical buffs follow by the hundreds of thousands. | Summer after summer, the Boston Symphony Orchestra retreats to its seasonal home: Tanglewood, a bucolic and beloved outdoor destination for music, tucked away in the Berkshires. New England’s vacationers and classical buffs follow by the hundreds of thousands. |
| But this year, for the first time since the Second World War, Tanglewood’s season, a staple of summer in the Northeast, has been canceled because of the continued threat of the coronavirus pandemic. | But this year, for the first time since the Second World War, Tanglewood’s season, a staple of summer in the Northeast, has been canceled because of the continued threat of the coronavirus pandemic. |
| On Wednesday, the Hollywood Bowl, where the Los Angeles Philharmonic has spent its summers for nearly a century, also canceled its season. Together, the closures, announced on both coasts in such close succession, seem to cement a new reality: the end of live performance in America for the summer. | On Wednesday, the Hollywood Bowl, where the Los Angeles Philharmonic has spent its summers for nearly a century, also canceled its season. Together, the closures, announced on both coasts in such close succession, seem to cement a new reality: the end of live performance in America for the summer. |
| The Boston Symphony’s season at Tanglewood, where it started summering in 1937, is a huge draw for visitors across the Northeast. More than 340,000 people attended events at the festival last summer, The Berkshire Eagle reported, when Tanglewood added lectures and master classes to its slate of programming and opened the Linde Center for Music and Learning. | The Boston Symphony’s season at Tanglewood, where it started summering in 1937, is a huge draw for visitors across the Northeast. More than 340,000 people attended events at the festival last summer, The Berkshire Eagle reported, when Tanglewood added lectures and master classes to its slate of programming and opened the Linde Center for Music and Learning. |
| This season’s lineup included the Tanglewood regulars Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax, and popular traditions like John Williams’s Film Night and a sold-out James Taylor concert on the Fourth of July. John Legend, Brandi Carlile and Patti LaBelle were also on the schedule. | This season’s lineup included the Tanglewood regulars Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax, and popular traditions like John Williams’s Film Night and a sold-out James Taylor concert on the Fourth of July. John Legend, Brandi Carlile and Patti LaBelle were also on the schedule. |
| Mark Volpe, the Boston Symphony’s president and chief executive, said the organization explored various alternatives to canceling the season, at one point sending a drone up above the expansive lawn to think about how social distancing might work. But with the thousands of people who congregate each summer in lines to the bathrooms and walk back to their cars at the end of the evening, he said, it just wasn’t feasible. | Mark Volpe, the Boston Symphony’s president and chief executive, said the organization explored various alternatives to canceling the season, at one point sending a drone up above the expansive lawn to think about how social distancing might work. But with the thousands of people who congregate each summer in lines to the bathrooms and walk back to their cars at the end of the evening, he said, it just wasn’t feasible. |
| The cancellation affects hundreds of the Boston Symphony’s 1,300 employees, Mr. Volpe said in an interview on Friday — particularly the part-time staff who spend the summer parking thousands of cars, cleaning the grounds, selling food and beverages and keeping the festival secure. | The cancellation affects hundreds of the Boston Symphony’s 1,300 employees, Mr. Volpe said in an interview on Friday — particularly the part-time staff who spend the summer parking thousands of cars, cleaning the grounds, selling food and beverages and keeping the festival secure. |
| “You take Tanglewood out of the Berkshires in the summer, and that basically drives the hospitality industry, which is a big part of their economy,” Mr. Volpe said. “So this has the potential to be devastating to our many partners in the business community in the Berkshires.” | “You take Tanglewood out of the Berkshires in the summer, and that basically drives the hospitality industry, which is a big part of their economy,” Mr. Volpe said. “So this has the potential to be devastating to our many partners in the business community in the Berkshires.” |
| The Tanglewood cancellation accounts for a total loss of $12.4 million in expected ticket revenue for the Boston Symphony. The organization has had secure finances and a robust endowment under the tenure of Mr. Volpe, whose planned retirement in February 2021 will be pushed back until the board is able to find a successor. | The Tanglewood cancellation accounts for a total loss of $12.4 million in expected ticket revenue for the Boston Symphony. The organization has had secure finances and a robust endowment under the tenure of Mr. Volpe, whose planned retirement in February 2021 will be pushed back until the board is able to find a successor. |
| The virus had already taken a toll on the Boston Symphony, which in April said it had already lost more than $10 million in revenue after spring performances were canceled, The Boston Globe reported. Boston Symphony musicians took pay cuts averaging 25 percent each, and 400 part-time staff members, along with 70 full-time staff, were furloughed. | The virus had already taken a toll on the Boston Symphony, which in April said it had already lost more than $10 million in revenue after spring performances were canceled, The Boston Globe reported. Boston Symphony musicians took pay cuts averaging 25 percent each, and 400 part-time staff members, along with 70 full-time staff, were furloughed. |
| Musicians will not face any additional pay cuts — at least through the end of the fiscal year on Aug. 31, Mr. Volpe said. But without Tanglewood, there will be additional furloughs of the full-time staff. | Musicians will not face any additional pay cuts — at least through the end of the fiscal year on Aug. 31, Mr. Volpe said. But without Tanglewood, there will be additional furloughs of the full-time staff. |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Between the Tanglewood ticket losses, canceled performances from the regular season, lost revenue from the Boston Pops orchestra and tours, and the expected drop in contributions, the Boston Symphony is bracing for a total loss of $29.2 million in revenue, which is offset by reduced expenses. | Between the Tanglewood ticket losses, canceled performances from the regular season, lost revenue from the Boston Pops orchestra and tours, and the expected drop in contributions, the Boston Symphony is bracing for a total loss of $29.2 million in revenue, which is offset by reduced expenses. |
| Most other major American classical institutions have already canceled their summers: the Santa Fe Opera, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown and Lincoln Center’s programming, including the Mostly Mozart Festival and Midsummer Night Swing. | Most other major American classical institutions have already canceled their summers: the Santa Fe Opera, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown and Lincoln Center’s programming, including the Mostly Mozart Festival and Midsummer Night Swing. |
| Internationally, some organizations are still weighing their options; the Salzburg Festival in Austria, which this year is slated to celebrate its centennial, has not yet made a decision. | Internationally, some organizations are still weighing their options; the Salzburg Festival in Austria, which this year is slated to celebrate its centennial, has not yet made a decision. |
| The grounds at Tanglewood will remain open for several hours a week, on Wednesdays and weekends, but visiting will require signing up in advance, the Boston Symphony said on Friday. The festival also plans to film new performances for its website in June and July — some for free, others for purchase — with some of the artists from the 2020 lineup. | The grounds at Tanglewood will remain open for several hours a week, on Wednesdays and weekends, but visiting will require signing up in advance, the Boston Symphony said on Friday. The festival also plans to film new performances for its website in June and July — some for free, others for purchase — with some of the artists from the 2020 lineup. |