COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
The COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts is part of an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The first confirmed case was reported on February 1, 2020, and the number of cases began increasing rapidly on March 5. Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency on March 10. By March 12, more than a hundred people had tested positive for the virus. Most early cases were traceable to a company meeting held in Boston in late February by the Cambridge-based biotechnology firm Biogen.
In May, Massachusetts was third in the U.S. for overall number of cases and third for cases per capita statewide, behind New York and New Jersey. New cases per day peaked on April 24, 2020 at 4,946, and, Massachusetts had dropped to tenth in the U.S. for total cases statewide, behind California, Florida, Texas, New York, Georgia, New Jersey, Illinois, Arizona, and North Carolina., there were 110,077 confirmed cases and 8,406 deaths among confirmed cases of COVID-19. 64% of confirmed and probable deaths were among residents of long-term care facilities; 84% were in people aged 70 or older. The state reported 1,193,200 people tested by PCR and 96,964 tested by serology.
Timeline
February
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed by state health officials on February 1. Massachusetts became the fifth state in the U.S. to report a case of COVID-19. The individual, a University of Massachusetts Boston student, had returned to Boston from Wuhan, China. Upon returning to Boston he began experiencing symptoms and sought medical care.175 executives of Biogen, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, held a two-day leadership conference from February 26–28 at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel. On February 29, a Biogen executive began to develop symptoms and sought treatment at a Boston area hospital. Suspecting COVID-19 was the cause of the illness, the executive requested a test, but was told by hospital staff that it was not necessary.
March
March 1–7
On March 2, the second confirmed case in Massachusetts was reported. The patient was a woman in her 20s from Norfolk County. She had recently traveled to Italy with a school group from Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She was the third person from the trip to test positive, with two people from Rhode Island who had gone on the trip also testing positive.On March 4, staff from Biogen contacted the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to report that two executives who had recently traveled from Europe to Boston and had attended the February employee meeting had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 upon returning home. The same day, a "significant number" of Biogen employees asked to be tested for the virus at Massachusetts General Hospital, which had not been informed that anyone at the company had been exposed. The state police announced Shattuck Street would be closed because a group of 60 individuals were being transported along the route to Brigham and Women's Hospital. On March5, Biogen reported that three individuals who had attended the company event in Boston the previous week had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
On March 6, public health officials reported five new cases bringing the state total to eight. Four cases were in Suffolk County, three in Norfolk County, and one in Middlesex County. Two cases were associated with travel to Italy and one to Wuhan. All five new cases were associated with the Biogen meeting.
On March 7, five more presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 were reported, bringing the total to 13. Among those cases was the index case in Berkshire County, a man in his 60s from Clarksburg whose infection could not be traced.
March 8–14
On March 8, the MDPH reported 15 more presumptive cases of COVID-19, all of which were individuals present at the Biogen conference, bringing the total to 28. In response to the outbreak, Biogen ordered all its employees to work from home. The fifteen new presumptive cases included five from Suffolk County, five from Middlesex County, four from Norfolk County, and one whose county of residence was unknown. Officials in North Carolina reported that five residents of Wake County tested positive for COVID-19; all five were participants in the previous week's Biogen meeting in Boston.in Westford, March 10, 2020.
On March 10, the first evidence of community transmission, also known as community spread, was found in a handful of cases in the Berkshires. A man in Sudbury tested presumptive positive for COVID-19, and the first case in Essex County was also reported.
On March 12, there were 108 people in Massachusetts with confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19. Among those cases, 82 were associates or employees of Biogen. Governor Baker said the state had tested more than 200 patients and had the capacity to test up to 5,000. The Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel, which had hosted the Biogen company gathering, closed temporarily. In a letter to their guests, the hotel said it made the decision in cooperation with the Boston Public Health Commission. Acton-Boxborough announced school closures from March 13 until March 20.
On March 13, the Boston Marathon was postponed from April 20 until September 14. A few hours later, Governor Baker prohibited gatherings of more than 250 people. The measure was targeted at large events and exempted most workplaces, transit buildings, polling locations, government buildings, and schools. Cardinal O'Malley, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, announced that all daily and Sunday masses and other religious services would be suspended in the Archdiocese of Boston until further notice. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that Boston Public Schools would be closed starting on March 17 until April 27. Woburn announced that a presumptive positive case in the city had been confirmed as negative.
On March 14, Cape Cod confirmed its first case, a man in his 60s from Sandwich. Officials in Worcester and Malden both announced their respective cities' first confirmed case of COVID-19, both linked to Biogen. Of the state's 138 cases, 104 could be traced to employees or contacts of Biogen.
A 59-year-old Worcester man died on a flight from Dubai to Boston, sparking speculation that he had died from COVID-19. He had been sick with gastrointestinal problems and was in cardiac arrest during the flight. On March 16, Massachusetts State Police said an autopsy revealed he did not have COVID-19.
March 15–21
On March 15, Baker ordered all public and private schools in Massachusetts to close for three weeks, from March 17 through April7. The same day, he also banned eating at restaurants, banned gatherings of more than 25 people, relaxed unemployment claim requirements, and enacted other interventions to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. Hampden and Plymouth counties had their first cases. Plymouth County's first case, in Hanover, resulted from travel. Hampden County's first case tested positive at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield; the hospital noted an additional 23 suspected cases.subway station displaying reduced hours and cancelled service.
On March 16, Brockton announced its first case, and the mayor declared a state of emergency for the city. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ordered construction projects to shut down by March 23, maintaining only minimal staff for security. He also announced that all branches of the Boston Public Library would close beginning that night. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced that, starting March 17, it would run the subway and buses at Saturday levels of service during the week, with express buses still running, ferries not running, and commuter rail running on a modified schedule. The next day, service was increased on the Blue Line, Green Line E branch, and some bus lines to reduce crowding. Frequency on Massport shuttles to Logan International Airport was reduced or canceled.
The number of hospitalized patients with suspected or known infections quadrupled to 53 between March 16 and 17. Major hospitals began reusing protective gear or asking the public for donations of masks.
The number of cases where initial exposure was under investigation began to rise rapidly, whereas cases tracked to Biogen attendees and household contacts continued an overall mild decline. On March 19, Governor Baker activated up to 2,000 Massachusetts National Guard to assist in the management of the pandemic. The number of cases increased by 72, putting the total at 328, with 119 in Middlesex County. Franklin and Hampshire countiesboth in Western Massachusetts and the last non-island countieshad their first confirmed cases of COVID-19.
On March 20, Massachusetts experienced its first death due to COVID-19. The fatality was an 87-year-old man from Suffolk County, who was hospitalized and who had preexisting health conditions. Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County had its first case, a 50-year-old man in Tisbury. This was the thirteenth of 14 counties in Massachusetts to report a case of COVID-19. The cities of Somerville and Cambridge closed non-essential businesses.
in a Trader Joe's line in Cambridgeport, Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 21, 2020.
Governor Baker announced that 5,207 people had been tested for COVID-19 in Massachusetts through state and commercial laboratories. That night the state announced its second death due to COVID-19, a woman from Middlesex County in her 50s who had a preexisting health condition. Nantucket County, the last county to have no cases of the virus, reported its first COVID-19 case. In order to reduce contact between drivers and customers, the MBTA began rear-door boarding on above-ground stops for buses, the Green Line, and the Mattapan Trolley, except for passengers with disabilities who need to use the front door.
March 22–31
On March 22, Nantucket issued a shelter-in-place order, to start March 23 and end on April 6. Exceptions were made for essential services to remain open. Governor Baker instructed people in mainland Massachusetts with second homes in Nantucket and Dukes County to stay on the mainland. Three new deaths were reported by Massachusetts DPH, two men, both in their 70s, from Hampden and Berkshire counties, and a man in his 90s from Suffolk County.On March 23, Governor Baker announced a stay-at-home advisory effective from noon March 24 until noon April 7. Nonessential businesses were ordered to close physical workplaces, and restaurants and bars were restricted to offering takeout and delivery. People were told they could go out to obtain essential goods and services, such as groceries and medicine, but should follow social distancing protocols.
On March 24, the number of cases jumped by 382 to 1,159, with two new deaths attributed to COVID-19. This unusually large jump in cases was attributable to Quest Diagnostics processing 3,843 tests in one day, yielding 267 of the state's 382 new positive results.
On March 25, the Commissioner of Public Health issued emergency regulations for grocery stores and pharmacies, requiring them to designate a daily shopping hour for senior citizens and provide checkout line distancing markers, hand washing and sanitizer for employees, disinfecting wipes for customers to use on carts. A ban on reusable bags became mandatory, overriding local bans on single-use plastic bags and eliminating fees for store-provided bags. Self-service food stations were ordered to be closed, and regular sanitization was required.
On March 27, the state extended the tax filing deadline to July 15 and announced new travel guidelines. State officials announced that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner, Monica Bharel, had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; she had mild symptoms and planned to recover at home.
On March 30, the state announced that it had conducted almost 43,000 tests of Massachusetts residents, with Quest Diagnostics having conducted 21,321 of the total tests administered. Later that evening, the MBTA announced that 18 transit workers had tested positive for the virus. In addition, the Boston Police Department confirmed that 19 officers and three civilian employees had all tested positive.
April
April 1–7
The Archdiocese of Boston announced that eight priests had tested positive for the disease. On April2 Boston Mayor Walsh announced plans to convert the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center into a field hospital, later named Boston Hope, with 500 beds assigned to the homeless and 500 to accept COVID-19 patients from city hospitals.On April 2, more than 500 healthcare workers in Boston hospitals were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19.
On April 5, Boston Mayor Walsh announced a voluntary city-wide curfew for non-emergency workers in Boston from 9p.m. to 6a.m., and asked all Bostonians to wear face coverings in public.
April 8–14
On April 9, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published a preliminary study of sewage samples taken in the Boston area on March 25, in an effort to determine the extent of COVID-19 infections. Based on concentrations of the virus found in the samples, the study suggested that approximately 115,000 of the Boston region's 2.3 million people were infected. At the time of sampling, Massachusetts had only 646 confirmed cases in the area.Starting the evening of Friday April 10, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation closed some parkways to vehicle traffic to allow recreational pedestrians to spread out, and reduced parking availability at some state parks. The city of Boston also reduced parking near the Arnold Arboretum. The Massachusetts Education Commissioner canceled MCAS standardized tests for the first time, taking advantage of a federal waiver.
On April 12, there were 25,475 total cases, with 2,615 new cases, making Massachusetts the state with the third-most cases in the United States, behind only New York and New Jersey. Massachusetts officials warned of ebb and flow of the spread of COVID-19.
April 15–21
On April 15, the Massachusetts DPH announced a plan to release town-by-town infection rates. This was a reversal from the earlier policy of discouraging the release of town-specific information concerning the number of infected in each particular community.On April 18, Baker announced that a third field hospital has opened in Cape Cod.
On April 20, Governor Baker signed a law banning residential and small business evictions and foreclosures on homeowners, for four months or until the state of emergency is ended. As of July 21, the moratorium expires on October 17, 2020.
On April 21, Governor Baker announced that Massachusetts schools would not return to in-person learning for the remainder of the academic year. He also extended through June 29 a previous order to close non-emergency childcare services.
April 22–30
On April 22, former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts announced that her oldest brother had died from COVID-19 in Oklahoma.On April 24, Governor Baker announced that while COVID-19 cases and testing were up in Massachusetts, hospitalizations have started to decrease and reached the lowest point since early April. Massachusetts recorded 4,946 new cases partially due to an error by Quest Diagnostics in missing more than 10,000 test results, both positive and negative, recorded in April 24 data.
On April 25, Governor Baker addressed the topic of when stay-at-home measures and closures of non-essential businesses would end. When restrictions were originally announced in mid-March, they were slated to end at noon on April7; later their projected end date was pushed to May4. Baker said it was unlikely restrictions would be lifted by then because the surge of cases had hit later than expectedMay4 presumed a surge in early April. Baker said the process of reopening will begin when hospitalizations start to decline consistently, and when there is "some evidence that we are in fact over the hump... with respect to the surge."
On April 28, Governor Baker extended the statewide stay-at-home advisory by two weeks, to May 18. He also said that once the advisory expires, the process of reopening will begin in stages, and not happen all at once.
Also on April 28, it was reported that at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, at least 68 veteransnearly 30 percent of the home's residentshad died of COVID-19 in what is believed to be the deadliest outbreak at a long-term care facility in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.
May
May 1–7
On May 1, Governor Baker issued an order, effective May 6, to require people to cover their faces in public when in situations where they are unable to keep six feet away from others.On May 4, a group of several hundred anti-lockdown protesters gathered outside the Massachusetts State House to urge Governor Baker to lift the state's stay-at-home advisory and reopen businesses. Organizers had planned to hold the protest, named the "Liberty Rally", if businesses were not reopened by May 1. The event was promoted by conservative talk radio host Jeffrey Kuhner and Super Happy Fun America, the group responsible for organizing the controversial 2019 Boston Straight Pride Parade.
May 8–14
On May 8, Boston Mayor Walsh announced that parades and festivals would not take place in Boston at least until Labor Day.On May 11, Governor Baker announced a four-phased plan to reopen the state. In phase one, a small number of industries that do not involve much face-to-face interaction will be allowed to return to operating, with strict restrictions in place. In phase two, more industries will be allowed to open, with restrictions including limits on the number of people allowed to gather in one place. In phase three, more industries will open, with guidance on how to operate safely. Phase four is set to occur if a vaccine or therapy is developed allowing restrictions to be loosened. The state also published Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards to be followed by industries that will open as a part of phase one. These standards include requirements for social distancing, hygiene, staffing policies, and cleaning and disinfecting.
May 15–21
On May 18, Governor Baker released the details of the plan to reopen businesses in Massachusetts, and renamed the stay-at-home advisory to a "safer at home" advisory. The plan allows places of worship, essential businesses, manufacturing businesses, and construction sites to reopen with strict restrictions on May 18. Also as of May 18, hospitals and health centers may begin providing urgent preventative care and treatment services to high-risk patients. Baker also announced that people who choose to ride the MBTA will be required to wear masks. Beginning on May 25, additional businesses will be able to open, also with restrictions. Although Baker's plan includes office buildings in the list of businesses allowed to open on May 25, offices within Boston will not be allowed to open until June 1.May 22–31
On May 26, Baker said in a press conference that the surge in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts is over, as evidenced by declining numbers of people hospitalized by the disease. He announced that the Boston Hope field hospital, located in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, would no longer be accepting new patients. The facility has treated more than 700 people with COVID-19, and has also provided shelter to some of Boston's homeless community. Baker also said that other field hospitals around the state would begin to close. Baker also announced $6million in grants to go to small businesses to help them purchase protective equipment and implement the safety precautions indicated in the reopening plan.The Boston Athletic Association announced on May 28 that the 2020 Boston Marathon, which had already been postponed to September, would be canceled.
June
On June 1, Massachusetts began reporting probable cases of and deaths due to COVID-19 in their data, when previously they had only been reporting confirmed cases and deaths. This change follows guidance from the U.S. CDC. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said in a statement that probable cases are recorded for people who "have either 1) had a positive antibody test and either had COVID symptoms or were likely to be exposed to a positive case or 2) did not have an antibody test but had COVID symptoms and were known to be exposed to a positive case." Probable deaths are defined as deaths where COVID-19 was listed on the death certificate as the cause of death, but where no test was administered. Due to these changes in reporting, Massachusetts became the 5th state in the U.S. to report over 100,000 cases of the contagious disease.On June 3, Massachusetts began reporting recoveries in their weekly data report. Previously, they had not been reporting the number of cumulative recoveries in their data. A patient is considered to be recovered if they have either been sick for 21 days or 21 days have passed since they tested positive.
Governor Baker announced on June 6 that Massachusetts would begin entering phase two of the reopening plan starting on Monday, June 8, following positive trends in access to testing and decreasing hospitalizations. The first portion of the phase will allow childcare, day camps, lodging retail stores, outdoor seating at restaurants, and children's sports programs to reopen with strict precautions. Additional services, including indoor dining and nail and tanning salons, will be allowed to reopen at an unspecified later date as a part of phase two if the positive trends in COVID-19 cases continue.
Boston entered phase two of their reopening plan on June 8.
Amid ongoing protests over the May killing of George Floyd, Governor Baker announced pop-up testing sites would open throughout the state on June 17 and 18 to provide free tests to protesters and anyone else who wished to be tested. During the period 11–17 June, Worcester county had the second highest number of deaths in the state with 39.
On June 22, WBUR reported that Massachusetts had become the state with the lowest COVID-19 transmission rate in the country. The June 22 Rt, a value measuring the average rate of transmission of a virus at a point in time, was 0.67 in Massachusetts. According to rt.live, the website calculating the values, an Rt value of 1.0 or above is considered to signify "rapid spread".
The June unemployment rate was later calculated at 17.4%, a record high and the worst of any U.S. state at the time.
July
On July 2, Governor Baker announced that Massachusetts would enter the first stage of phase three of its reopening plan starting on Monday, July 6. Phase three allows companies including gyms, casinos, and museums to open with safety precautions. Boston will delay entering phase three until July 13.Governor Baker announced on July 8 that free testing centers would open in eight communities that are seeing high viral spread: Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Marlborough, and New Bedford. These areas are experiencing considerably higher positive test rates than the state average, and the testing rate has been growing lower.
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference announced on July 16 that it was suspending the fall 2020 sports season. Applying to both indoor and outdoor sports, the decision impacts Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University, and Worcester State University, as well as other universities which are affiliate members of the conference for football or golf.
To improve revenues for restaurants with liquor licenses, Governor Baker signed a law on July 21 allowing restaurants to serve cocktails to go in sealed containers until at least February. Also on July 21st, Baker extended the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures in the state through October 17, 2020.
The MBTA resumed collecting fares and requiring front-door boarding on buses and trolleys on July 20, having installed plexiglass shields for drivers.
Towards the end of the month, Massachusetts began to experience a slight reversal in what had previously been positive trends in case data. Governor Baker blamed "disturbing reports of large gatherings" on the uptick in cases, a trend he described as attributable to people not following guidelines rather than a result of moving forward in the state's reopening plan. On July 26, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society Dr. David Rosman tweeted, "Pay attention #Massachusetts — #COVID19 is on the rise. The numbers show it. The anecdotes show it." Rosman is among a group of people who have pushed Baker to pause the reopening plan, or move back from stage three to stage two, if case data continues to show a negative trend. The city of Somerville, which was the only city or town in Massachusetts that had not entered phase three of the reopening plan by the end of July, announced on July 31 that they would be further delaying entering the third phase. Officials said they had based the decision on concerns about case trends, issues with testing and contact tracing, and the possibility of another surge in cases.
August
Beginning on August 1, visitors and Massachusetts residents returning from out of state need to fill out a form and quarantine for two weeks, unless they are coming from an exempt state or have tested negative for COVID-19 in the past 72 hours. State exemptions are based on a threshold for rolling averages of daily cases and positive test rates; individuals can also be exempted if they are commuting for work, coming to the state for medical treatment, following military orders, or traveling to work in federally-identified critical sectors.Epidemiology
Initial exposures and spread
Systematic testing did not begin until mid-March, so it is unknown how the virus spread.The index case of COVID-19 in Massachusetts was reported on February 1, 2020, in Boston. The patient, a University of Massachusetts Boston student in his 20s, had recently returned to Boston from Wuhan, China. The second confirmed case in Massachusetts was reported on March 2. The patient was a woman in her 20s from Norfolk County, who had recently traveled to Italy with a school group from Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. After a month of stasis, cases began growing rapidly on March 5, with most traceable to a Biogen employee meeting held in at the Marriott Long Wharf hotel in Boston from February 26–28.
Exposure clusters were reported from mid to late March. Local transmission began being reported on March 16, slightly exceeding cases related to travel. An outbreak cluster of untraced origin in the Berkshire Medical Center in Western Massachusetts was briefly tracked from March 11 through March 15. Cases that had been contact-traced to Biogen plateaued on March 13, and were surpassed by local transmissions on March 23. Cases of unknown exposure surpassed those of known exposure on March 19, then grew rapidly. When the Massachusetts Department of Public Health ceased updating statistics on exposure on March 27, there were 99 cases traced to Biogen, 163 cases of local transmission, 93 cases related to travel, and 2,885 cases where initial exposure was under investigation.
The disease went undetected after entering Boston in Suffolk County in early February. It then re-emerged in early March and spread to the state's remaining 13 counties within three weeks. Suffolk County had its first reported case on February 1, Norfolk County on March 2, Middlesex County on March 6, Berkshire County on March 7, Essex County on March 10, Barnstable and Worcester counties on March 14, Hampden and Plymouth counties on March 15, Franklin and Hampshire counties on March 19, Dukes County on March 20, and Nantucket County on March 21.
Tests
Massachusetts has performed 1,553,550 molecular tests on 1,193,200 individuals, and has also performed antibody tests on 96,964 individuals as of 2020.Hospitalizations
The first four hospitalizations in Massachusetts were reported on March 9. The number of hospitalizations surpassed 10 on March 12, 100 on March 25, and 500 on March 31., 369 people were in the hospital because of COVID-19. 53 people were being treated in intensive care units, and 26 were intubated. The average age of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Massachusetts is 68.Deaths
Deaths due to COVID-19 have been concentrated among the elderly., 7,283 of 8,626 probable and confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts were in patients aged 70 or older, and the average age of death was 82. More than half of the deaths in the state have been among residents of long-term care facilities. The state's first death due to COVID-19 was on March 20: an 87-year-old man from Suffolk County, who was hospitalized and had preexisting health conditions.Cases by category
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health began publishing daily updates on COVID-19 in Massachusetts on March 6, 2020. Local media and the state also published intermittent reports beforehand.Cases by county
Most COVID-19 cases and deaths were traced to a county by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The Massachusetts DPH releases an updated form with this data daily. This table counts cases on a cumulative basis.Government response
Closures and mask orders
Citing the rapid increase in cases, Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts on March 10. During a press conference on March 14, 2020, Governor Baker established an emergency command center and promised to expand statewide lab testing.On March 15, Governor Baker banned all public gatherings of more than 25 people, closed all K–12 public schools from March 17 through April7, and banned on-site service at bars and restaurants for the same period. On March 25, Baker ordered all schools and non-emergency childcare services to be closed through May 4, extending the original closure by three weeks. On April 21, Baker announced that schools would not reopen for the remainder of the school year, and extended the order to close non-emergency childcare services through June 29.
On March 23, Governor Baker announced a stay-at-home advisory to be effective from March 24 until April 7. On March 31, the advisory was extended to May 4. On April 28, this advisory was further extended to May 18. On May 18, Baker renamed the advisory a "safer at home" advisory. Under the safer at home advisory, people are advised to only leave their homes for previously excepted activities, or to visit facilities or participate in activities allowed in the reopening plan that was also detailed on May 18.
On March 27, Governor Baker asked travelers from out of state to avoid Massachusetts or to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days. Electronic highway signs were activated, and travelers arriving at Logan International Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, and South Station were given flyers. Medical students were graduated early, and emergency orders were issued giving some nurses with more than two years of experience authority to write prescriptions, and granting incoming medical residents and interns 90-day medical licenses.
Starting March 31, hotels, motels and online rentals like Airbnb were ordered to close to recreational travelers so they could be used to house essential workers and displaced residents. The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is being prepared as a 1,000-bed field hospital for COVID-19 patients, including 500 beds for infected homeless patients. The DCU Center in Worcester was set up as a field hospital for recovering COVID-19 patients, overseen by UMass Memorial Medical Center.
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles moved to an appointment-only system to avoid overcrowding, and the state extended deadlines for many renewals by 60 days to reduce the need for in-person transactions. With visits down about 90%, eight of the 30 RMV branches closed completely. The National Association of Government Employees, representing customer service employees at the RMV, asked that the remaining offices be closed for worker safety, but the Secretary of Transportation said essential workers needed the RMV to continue operating.
When people in parks were found to not be following social distancing, many parks and playgrounds were closed. Some cities removed or blocked off basketball hoops and other amenities to discourage people from gathering. Beaches and their parking lots were also ordered to close. On April 5, Boston's Mayor Walsh issued a stay-at-home advisory for the city of Boston. All non-essential workers were asked to stay home from 9:00p.m. to 6:00a.m., starting April 6. All baseball, tennis, and hockey fields in parks were ordered to be closed. Residents were instructed not to visit family or fields outside of their households. The restrictions were enforceable by fines, and remained in effect until June 8.
On April 5, Boston's Mayor Walsh encouraged, but did not require, people to wear masks when outside the home. He asked that people leave medical masks for essential workers and make their own if necessary. On April 27, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced that, beginning on April 29, people would be required to cover their faces when in any public space. Somerville officials said that, while the order would be enforceable with $300 fines after a one-week grace period elapsed, they would be focusing on educating people and distributing masks where possible to vulnerable people, reserving fines for those "showing willful disregard" for the order. On May 1, Governor Baker issued an order, effective May 6, that required people to cover their faces in public when in situations where they are unable to keep six feet away from others.
On July 24, Governor Baker announced that beginning on August 1, visitors and Massachusetts residents returning from out of state will need to fill out a form and quarantine for two weeks, unless they are coming from an exempt state or have tested negative for COVID-19 in the past 72 hours. State exemptions are based on a threshold for rolling averages of daily cases and positive test rates; individuals can also be exempted if they are commuting for work, coming to the state for medical treatment, following military orders, or traveling to work in federally-identified critical sectors.
Field hospitals
Massachusetts created five field hospitals to handle less critical patients in case the expected surge in COVID-19 patients overwhelmed regular hospitals, despite their efforts to increase ICU capacity. All have since closed. The largest was Boston Hope in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It cost $12 million and included 1,000 single rooms separated by sheetrock walls, of which 200 rooms were equipped with oxygen lines, and six set up for intensive care. It received its first patient on April 10 and treated some 720 acute-care patients over seven and a half weeks, including homeless people and recuperating COVID-19 patients.A 200-bed field hospital at the DCU Center in Worcester saw 275 patients. Three other field hospitals, in Bourne, Dartmouth, Lowell, never saw a patient, due to the Commonwealth's success in slowing the infection rate. The Boston Hope facility at BCEC has been sanitized and shrink-wrapped, ready for a possible future surge. Other facilities have been dismantled and placed in storage.
Mask supply problems
Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said a shipment of three million masks the state had negotiated to buy from BJ's Wholesale Club, was impounded by the federal government from the Port of New York and New Jersey on March 18. A further order from MSC Industrial Supply for 400 masks to be delivered on March 20 was also claimed by the federal government. Governor Baker reached out to the New England Patriots professional American football team, who used the team plane "AirKraft" to bring approximately 1.2 million N95 masks from China to Boston.Reopening
On May 11, Governor Baker announced a four-phased plan to reopen the state. In phase one, a small number of industries that do not involve much face-to-face interaction will be allowed to return to operating, with strict restrictions in place. In phase two, more industries will be allowed to open, with restrictions including limits on the number of people allowed to gather in one place. In phase three, more industries will open, with guidance on how to operate safely. Phase four is set to occur if a vaccine or therapy is developed allowing restrictions to be loosened. The state also published Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards to be followed by industries that will open as a part of phase one. These standards include requirements for social distancing, hygiene, staffing policies, and cleaning and disinfecting. On May 18, Governor Baker released the details of the plan to reopen businesses in Massachusetts. The plan allowed places of worship, essential businesses, manufacturing businesses, and construction sites to reopen with strict restrictions on May 18. Also as of May 18, hospitals and health centers were permitted to begin providing urgent preventative care and treatment services to high-risk patients. Baker also announced that people who chose to ride the MBTA would be required to wear masks. Beginning on May 25, additional businesses were able to open, also with restrictions. Although Baker's plan included office buildings in the list of businesses allowed to open on May 25, offices within Boston were not allowed to open until June 1. On July 2, Governor Baker announced that Massachusetts would enter the first stage of phase three of its reopening plan starting on Monday, July 6. Phase three allows companies including gyms, casinos, and museums to open with safety precautions. Boston and Somerville will delay entering phase three until July 13, which was later extended to August 3 in Somerville.Voting
A bill signed into law on July 6 expanded the time period for early voting, and also allows any voter in Massachusetts to vote by mail during any 2020 election, without specifying a reason. Voters must submit an application for a mail-in ballot; applications will be mailed to every registered voter before the September state primary and November general election, and an online portal is expected for the November election.Legal challenges
Governor Baker's emergency orders were challenged in court by a number of lawsuits. One federal suit successfully forced gun stores to re-open along with "essential businesses" under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Another federal lawsuit demanding houses of worship be opened under the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution was rendered moot when Baker put them in the first phase of reopening. A state court ruled the governor had lawful authority to close marijuana stores.The complaint in Desrosiers v. Baker seeks to invalidate all the governor's entire March 10 order and amendments, including all business closures, orders to wear face coverings, and restrictions on the size of public gatherings, on the grounds that the state's Civil Defense Act does not provide authority for these actions. The suit is funded in part by the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a Washington, D.C., non-profit itself funded in part by the Charles Koch Foundation. A ruling from a single member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court was expected in September.
Proposals
A number of initiatives to combat the detriments of the pandemic were announced by Congressional and governmental candidates in the spring and summer of 2020. Notable plans came from the race in Massachusetts 4th District; activist and former public school teacher Nick Matthew announced a student-led mutual aid network to encompass the district and the Greater Boston area entitled the 'Southeastern Massachusetts Mutual Aid Project.' This network, with data, request forms, and maps of service options located at semamutualaid.org, would help bring COVID-19 relief to thousands of struggling families, organizations, and individuals in the region. Fellow Congressional candidate Jesse Mermell released new plans for a stronger public education system in the wake of COVID-19 which would increase the number of teachers in the nation and strengthen access to early childhood education.Spread among population groups
Long-term care facilities
, 5,497 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in long-term care facilities in Massachusetts. Deaths among residents of long-term care facilities make up more than half of all COVID-19 deaths in the state. 24,224 residents and healthcare workers at these facilities have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and 376 long-term care facilities in Massachusetts have reported at least one case of COVID-19. On April 15, the state announced it had allocated $130million in additional funding to these facilities, and would offer signing bonuses to job applicants in an attempt to increase staffing. On April 27, the governor of Massachusetts announced another $130million in funding to go to nursing homes. He also said the state would be creating a team of 120 nurses to be sent to long-term care facilities in emergencies, and announced that the facilities would begin to be audited for compliance with a checklist of care criteria.Soldiers' Home in Holyoke
, a long-term care facility for older veterans in Holyoke, is believed to have had the largest death toll of all long-term care facilities in the United States. On March 30, a potential cluster of COVID-19 cases was reported at the facility. Eleven residents had recently died, and another eleven residents along with several staff members had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse accused the nursing facility of mismanagement and lack of transparency in the events surrounding the outbreak and its resulting fatalities. Governor Baker announced on April1 that he had appointed an independent investigator to examine the outbreak at Soldiers' Home. On April2, three more residents of Holyoke Soldiers' Home died, bringing that outbreak's total number of deaths to 18. On April 3, Holyoke Medical Center announced that a total of 21 residents of the Soldier's Home in Holyoke had died, at least 15 of whom tested positive for COVID-19. According to officials, a total of 59 residents had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. On April 10, the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston announced that it would be opening a federal investigation into whether Soldiers' Home violated the rights of its patients by failing to provide them adequate medical care and protection during the COVID-19 outbreak., 68 veterans who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had died. An additional 82 residents and 81 staff at the facility had tested positive for the virus.Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley
The Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley in Littleton reported on April 10 that 75 of its 204 employees were out sick and at least 14 of them had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. On April 11, officials at the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley announced that Maria Krier, a nurse who had spoken out about improper training at the nursing home, had died. She had told reporters she believed management had no experience with infectious disease and that that had contributed to the spread of COVID-19 at the facility. On April 15, a letter was found outside the Life Care Center which made threatening and violent remarks, referencing the COVID-19 outbreak., sixteen residents of the facility had died from COVID-19-related causes in the period since March 27. 78 residents tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 among the 98 who have been tested for the virus.Other facilities
, 17 residents of the Belmont Manor Nursing Rehabilitation Center in Belmont had died in a five-day period, bringing the overall total of deaths at the facility to 30. 49 residents who had been confirmed to have COVID-19 had died, and an additional 67 residents and 73 staff were positive for the virus. In the time since the pandemic began, more than a third of Belmont Manor's residents have died., more than two thirds of residents at Pleasant Bay Nursing Center in Brewster have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
On April 17, officials from the Alliance Health at West Acres nursing home in Brockton announced that a total of 37 residents had tested positive for COVID-19 and 15 others had died from the virus., 22 residents had died out of 53 total residents who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. A part-time certified nursing assistant who had worked at Alliance Health had also died from COVID-19. On April 17, the City of Brockton also announced that at least 29 of the city's 46 deaths attributed to COVID-19 were from residents of the long-term care facilities within the city. These deaths also included ten residents of the Brockton Health Center who died after contracting the disease, and at least four residents at Saint Joseph Manor Nursing facility.
, 41 residents of the Mary Immaculate Nursing/Restorative Center in Lawrence, one of the largest nursing facilities in the state, have died of COVID-19. 37 staff members had tested positive, forcing the center to rely on healthcare workers from its affiliated health system while the employees recovered.
On April 12, officials with JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow announced in a letter to benefactors that 21 residents of the facility had died of COVID-19, and 93 residents and 43 staff had tested positive. This number had more than tripled since the facility had reported 29 cases on April 2.
21 residents of the Charlwell House Health and Rehabilitation Center in Norwood had died in less than two weeks., seven of the people who died had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and only twenty of the more than two hundred residents and staff at the facility had been able to be tested for SARS-CoV-2.
, 23 residents had confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Jack Satter House in Revere, a nursing home run by Hebrew Senior Life. Of those, 11 residents died.
On April 3, AdviniaCare in Wilmington announced that 51 of 98 residents had tested positive for the virus. AdviniaCare had been selected to become a recovery center for Boston-area COVID-19 patients who were still contagious but had recovered sufficiently to be discharged out of the intensive care units of Boston area hospitals. However, after the high number of residents tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, AdviniaCare announced they would be delaying the plan to relocate residents and convert the facility into a recovery center., 28 patients at the facility had died from COVID-19. Twelve residents were currently infected as of that date, and 43 had recovered.
Racial disparities
Preliminary data has shown that African Americans and others of African descent in Massachusetts have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Although only 25% of the population of Boston are black, they have accounted for 41% of the COVID-19 cases in the city. On April 9, the city of Boston announced it had created a COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force, which would advise the city in addressing inequality among testing, data analysis, and healthcare for underrepresented racial groups. On April 7, it was reported that at Massachusetts General Hospital the proportion of Latinos among COVID-19 patients was four times the percentage of Latinos among people usually being treated at the hospital. Public health experts have reported that the virus has disproportionately affected Massachusetts communities with high black, Latino, and immigrant populations because many in those communities are exposed to the virus through essential jobs at grocery stores, public transit, and food delivery services. They also attribute the higher prevalence of the disease to members of those communities living in smaller or more densely populated homes, making social distancing a challenge. On April 24, the medical director for the city of Worcester announced that 30% of COVID-19 cases in Worcester County were among Latinos, despite only 11% of the population being Latino. He reported that black people also appeared to be disproportionately affected, accounting for 10% of COVID-19 cases but only 5% of the county population.Until early April, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which is the primary organization compiling test data in Massachusetts, had declined to release data on the specific impact of COVID-19 to racial and ethnic groups. They began to release demographic data on coronavirus infections on April 8, although the data was very incomplete, with the race or ethnicity of the patient unknown in two-thirds of cases. That same day, Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders spoke at a press conference held by Governor Baker, saying they would be issuing an order that day to require race and ethnicity fields be completed when tests were performed, so public reporting could be improved.
According data tracking from the AMA, while 71% of the population of Massachusetts is White, only 27% of total confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been White. Conversely, Black, Hispanic and Asian individuals represent 9%, 12% and 7% of the population, respectively, and make up 9%, 18% and 2% of total COVID-19 cases.
Prison population
On March 21, the Massachusetts Department of Correction announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 among its inmate population. According to officials at the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a male inmate who is serving a life sentence tested positive. Massachusetts DOC noted at the time that this was the only known case of COVID-19 in its inmate population. As of April 15, four prisoners at the Massachusetts Treatment Center have died from COVID-19, making it the only prison in the state that has reported inmate deaths from the virus.On April 10, the Massachusetts DOC released data showing the rate of infection among female inmates at MCI–Framingham was nearly ten times that of the overall state prison population, with 17 infected.
, the Prisoners' Legal Services non-profit reported that 651 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed among prisoners in Massachusetts jails and prisons, and nine prisoners had died from it. 365 staff members had also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
On July 1, it was noted that doctors advised the Massachusetts Sheriff's Association that COVID-19 infections in jails and prisons originated with staff members, not inmates.
Homeless population
On April 7, the Chief of Boston Health and Human Services Marty Martinez spoke at Boston Mayor Walsh's press conference, where he reported that there were around 200 cases of COVID-19 among homeless people in Boston, which was around 30% of the homeless people who had been tested. The city of Boston allocated 500 of the beds at the field hospital being created at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center to go to homeless people with COVID-19. A homeless shelter in Worcester found on April 17 that out of 114 shelter guests who were tested for SARS-CoV-2, 49 tested positive. Many of those who tested positive were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms; Dr. Erik Garcia, the medical director of the Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Project at the Family Health Center of Worcester, said that "there were some symptoms, but certainly none of the classic symptoms. And most people were complaining of a slight worsening of the chronic cough that they already hadno fevers and no other symptoms." After a cluster of coronavirus cases were traced back to the Boston Pine Street Inn shelter, the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program tested all shelter guests for the virus and found that out of 397 people tested, 146 tested positive but had been experiencing no symptoms. The state of Massachusetts has created isolation sites in Pittsfield, Taunton, and Lexington for people who are homeless and who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 or have a doctor's note recommending they isolate. On April 24, Boston Mayor Walsh announced that public health officials would be testing everyone in the city's shelter system for SARS-CoV-2., 1,340 people had been tested, and 453 of them tested positive.Societal effects
The sudden surge of cases in Massachusetts during the week of March9 led many organizations to ask employees to work from home, and prompted museums and libraries to close. This led to a noticeable decline in Boston's rush hour traffic; in some cases, drive times for major highways dropped by 30 to 50 percent. Following the beginning of reopening Massachusetts on May 18, the Greater Boston Area began to see the return of severe traffic congestion during rush hour.Food supplies and supermarkets
, especially since the week of March 11, led to shortages of some products, and there were crowds and long lines at grocery stores as early in the day as 7:00a.m. Pandemic supplies like sanitizing supplies and masks remained difficult to get for weeks, as did toilet paper. Grocery retailers shortened their hours to allow employees more time to restock, and as later required by state law, to offer older and more vulnerable people a time in the early morning when they can shop separately. Later, emergency orders required grocery stores to implement stricter measures, including limiting the number of people allowed inside stores at a time, and marking queues to maintain social distancing. They installed plastic guards to reduce contact between customers and cashiers, and designated some aisles one-way. By the end of May, grocery stores started expanding hours, with toilet paper back on shelves significant quantities but home baking supplies like yeast and flour with thin stocks.With lines forming outside many grocery stores due to limited capacity, community supported agriculture and milk delivery subscriptions experienced sudden growth, as did demand for food at farm stands. Many farms and dairies lost wholesale restaurant and institutional customers, but some of that output was purchased by retail farms that could otherwise not meet the surge in demand from their own customers. Hundreds of Massachusetts farms started selling direct to consumers online for the first time.
The wholesale Greater Boston Food Bank said that it experienced double the normal demand for food, distributing more food per month than it ever had before. It also said that because food donations from restaurants and grocery stores plummeted, it was spending about 50 times as much money to buy food, though the Massachusetts government provided cash assistance, and the federal government provided surplus food purchased from farmers.
Schools and universities
School closures began in early March, when Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced on March9 that it was moving to only-online classes for the remainder of the spring semester. Also on March9, two elementary schools in the Plainville school district and one in Arlington were closed for the day due to COVID-19 tests being conducted on two parents and one child. Northeastern University, which had already closed satellite campuses in San Francisco and Seattle, hesitated to close their main campus for fear of international students losing their F visa status. On March6 the university publicly called on the Department of Homeland Security to grant clemency for international students so the university could close.On March 10, Harvard University announced that its classes would be online-only for the rest of the spring semester. The University of Massachusetts Boston informed faculty that they should prepare to teach remotely. Amherst College, located in Western Massachusetts, instructed students on spring break to not return to campus, and moved all classes online for the remainder of the semester. Emerson College, Tufts University, Babson College, Smith College, and Wheaton College all canceled in-person classes and moved classes online. On March 11, several schools were closed including Hopkinton Public Schools, Loker Elementary and Wayland Middle School, and Clark Avenue Middle School. Northeastern University and Boston University moved all classes online. On March 14, Northeastern University informed students they would need to vacate their dormitories by 5:00 p.m. on March 17. Up to this point students were taking online classes but allowed to remain on university property. Williams College announced it would end in-person classes on Friday, March 13 and move to remote learning beginning Monday, April 6. Boston College moved all classes online, and all students were told to vacate their dorms by March 15. All University of Massachusetts classes moved online until at least April 3. Within a week, many colleges and state school districts announced closures ranging from weeks to months in duration. Wellesley and Framingham closed their public schools and libraries for two weeks on March 13. Also on March 13, Boston announced that its public schools would close for six weeks from Tuesday, March 17 through April 26.
On March 13, Boston Mayor Walsh announced that Boston Public Schools would be closed starting on March 17 until April 27. On March 15, Governor Baker ordered all schools in Massachusetts closed for three weeks from March 17 through April 7. On March 25, he extended the closing through May 4. On April 21, he extended it to the remainder of the school year.
Massachusetts schools have been directed to prepare plans for three scenarios for fall 2020: entirely in-classroom teaching, entirely remote teaching, and a combined teaching model. Governor Baker said on July 27 that schools should anticipate needing to "pivot" from one scenario to another in response to local pandemic data.
Sports and recreation
Several leagues began postponing or suspending their sports seasons starting March 12, and Major League Baseball canceled the remainder of spring training. On March 16, after the CDC recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, the major league baseball season was postponed indefinitely. Also on March 12, the National Basketball Association announced the season would be suspended for 30 days. The National Hockey League season was suspended indefinitely. Boston Celtics player Marcus Smart announced on March 18 that he had tested positive for COVID-19, having been tested five days prior.In college sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association canceled all winter and spring tournaments, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, affecting colleges and universities statewide. On March 16, the National Junior College Athletic Association also canceled the remainder of the winter seasons as well as the spring seasons.
The Boston Athletic Association canceled the 2020 Boston Marathon on May 28. In March they had postponed the race, which usually takes place in April, until September. However, Boston Mayor Walsh said on May 28 that "There's no way to hold this usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. While our goal and our hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on September 14 or any time this year." 2020 was the first year in the race's 124-year history that the event was postponed or canceled. Runners will still be able to participate "virtually" in September, and will receive a medal and other items if they send proof that they complete the race in under six hours. Those who qualified for the 2020 marathon will be eligible to compete in the 2021 race.
With many families expecting to spend the summer at home instead of traveling or using public facilities, demand for installation of private backyard pools surged around 20%, and purchases of backyard playground equipment were also up.