6/3/2020 Press Conference on COVID-19 Updates

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On June 3rd, Governor Baker gave a press conference to provide a COVID-19 update on Testing, Hospitalizations, Reopening, and New Data Fields.

Here is the summary.

Testing

  • The Commonwealth has reported over 600,000 tests to date. 

    • 5% of the tests reported yesterday have come back positive, compared to 27% in mid-April.

  • On Saturday, the Command Center filed a plan with the federal government to expand testing and have received $374 million in federal funding to do so. 

    • The goal is to test all symptomatic individuals and close contacts. 

  • MA tests about 4.4% of the population per month and hopes to see this percentage increase as they build testing capacity. 

    • The goal by the end of June is to be testing 45,000 people per day. 

Hospitalizations

  • There are currently 1,657 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. 

    • The 3 day average of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 has dropped 50% over the past 30 days. 

Reopening

  • The Governor signed an Executive Order on Monday that allows businesses opening in Phase II to be able to go prepare on site. 

  • Today, the Administration will release guidance and workplace safety standards for outdoor adult sports, youth sports, and summer sports camps. The guidance includes guidelines for facility operators as well as activity organizers.

    • Overnight camps will come in Phase III.

  • As part of Phase II, outdoor athletic facilities can be open for organized youth and adult sports activities in accordance with the guidance.

    • Games, scrimmages, and tournaments are currently not permitted for any organized sports activities and contact sports must limit activities to no contact drills and practices. 

  • Indoor sports and designated organizations can open for participants under 18. 

  • Please find guidance for retail stores, including limited capacity, specific times for the elderly to access the pharmacy, and face-covering requirements at mass.gov/reopening. 

  • Executive Office of Early Education and Care (EEC)

    • On Monday, EEC released safety requirements to open childcare and recreational camp facilities in Phase II. 

    • Providers will need to scan/screen all staff and children before entrance. 

    • Parents will need to drop off children in a staggered manner and daily activities will be reworked to follow social distancing. 

    • Providers will need to submit a plan to EEC in order to reopen.