Ultimately, the president's executive order will block the issuing of about 52,000 green cards over a two-month period, according to the Migration Policy Institute. However, because nearly 27 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past five weeks, some say the president did not go far enough. They say this summer will not be an appropriate time to bring foreign workers into the country, including Massachusetts.
As doctors and nurses fight bravely on the front lines to save as many coronavirus patients as possible, protecting them has been a big problem. The shortage of protective equipment has sparked protests and debates; some doctors and nurses are desperately in need of masks, surgical gear, and eye equipment as the cases continue to soar.
In Sharon, Massachusetts, a town of about 18,000 about 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston, the Sharon Chinese Association, a non-profit organization, has risen to the challenge. Setting up a comprehensive network of donations and purchases of personal protective equipment and working with local hospitals and health care centers, the association has donated 597 packages of protective gear such as masks and surgical protection to local hospitals such as Boston Medical Center, Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, and Norwood Hospital. Health centers in Lawrence, Brockton, and Tufts, and even nursing homes like the Whitney Place in Sharon and Sunrise of Norwood, have also received aid. In total, the association has donated 27,082 packages of personal protective equipment.
