New Travel Order Effective Aug. 1
Today, Governor Charlie Baker announced that effective August 1st, all travelers entering the Commonwealth, including both out of state residents and Massachusetts residents returning home, will be required to comply with a new travel order. The travel order and other information is available at www.mass.gov/MAtraveler.
‘Lives in jeopardy’: President of Mass. teachers’ union criticizes state’s plan to reopen schools
The president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association expressed her frustrations regarding the state’s plan for reopening schools in the fall.
“There’s a fundamental lack of honesty here. The state is pretending that minor modifications to systems will allow us to reopen the buildings,” President Merrie Najimy said. “Let me just be very blunt. The benefits of returning in person are limited and the risks are as great the possibility of either causing a resurgence in the pandemic and putting people’s lives in jeopardy.” You can read the full article here: https://whdh.com/news/lives-in-jeopardy-president-of-mass-teachers-union-criticizes-states-plan-to-reopen-schools/
Report on COVID-19 Outbreak at Soldiers’ Home Says Staff Made Many Errors
An independent investigation into the deadly coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home released Wednesday said the facility’s leadership team made “substantial errors” in responding to the outbreak that resulted in the deaths of at least 76 veterans and the infection of an additional 84 veterans and over 80 staff members.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker hired former federal prosecutor Mark Pearlstein to carry out an independent investigation into the coronavirus outbreak in the nursing facility in Holyoke in April. Watch Gov. Baker address the Holyoke Soldier’s home COVID 19 report here: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/investigation-into-deadly-coronavirus-outbreak-at-holyoke-soldiers-home-released/2148260/
Currently there are 972 positive COVID cases in Holyoke < 1% increase
7283 confirmed cases in Hampden County< 1% increase
1090 in Hampshire ~2% increase
396 in Franklin ~1% increase
629 in Berkshire county ~2% increase
Weekly Public Health Report (Updated Wednesday) Contains town-by-town numbers, long-term care facility information, and more: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting#covid-19-weekly-public-health-report-
Massachusetts comprehensive daily “dashboard” illustrating the spread of this virus across regions and demographics: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting#covid-19-daily-dashboard-
Testing has a turnaround time of 4-6 days and many cases are being clinically diagnosed (no testing or reporting involved). All are advised to behave as though they are carriers of Covid-19.
The curve we need to flatten: County numbers graphed over time can be found here: https://www.wmasscovid.com/
Massachusetts has now experienced a total of 8,310 deaths among the 108,380 confirmed Covid-19 cases. *Massachusetts is now reporting “probable” Coronavirus deaths in addition to confirmed cases.
Mass website featuring all Covid-19 testing sites: www.mass.gov/covid-testmap
Please be advised that you may be contacted by Public Health officials as part of the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Initiative sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or were exposed to someone who has tested positive, you may receive a call from your local Board of Health or from the MA Department of Public Health. The call will only take a few minutes and is a necessary step to limit the spread of the virus. Your information will not be shared with any other agencies and these officials will never ask for your social security number or health insurance information. If you have any questions about a call you received, contact us at coronaresponse@holyoke.org
Click here for Governor Baker’s Phase II Executive Order
Click here for Governor Baker’s Revised Gatherings Executive Order
Full list and safety protocols available at : www.mass.gov/reopening