By Beth David, Editor
Mass. Governor Charlie Baker continued to allow more businesses to open this week, including outdoor dining at restaurants and retailers, including malls.
The governor also encouraged anyone who has been to a large gathering to get tested. In addition to free pop-up testing sites, individuals may make an appointment for a test at www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing to be tested at a CVS.
The governor is expected to decide at the end of this week which other businesses may open.
Phase II was split into two parts, with nail salons, massage therapists, tanning salons and tattoo parlors as part of that next step.
The governor said on Monday, 6/15, that COVID-19 deaths are down, while hospitlizations and infections shave increase.
The Phase II reopening also includes day care centers and summer camps, but owners balked at the original guidelines, saying they would not work with small children.
The governor eased some of those restrictions, such as making mask wearing a recommendation, not a mandate, to make it easier fo those businesses to open. The state also dropped the requirement for an extra teacher in every presschool room. Owners said the move would be too expensive for them to succeessfully run their businesses.
Visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-massachusetts for details on sector specific guidelines, and other resources for businesses.
As of Tuesday, 6/16, the total number of cases reported in Massachusetts was 105,886, witih 195 new cases that day; 18 new deaths were recorded on 6/16, bringing the total deaths to 7, 665 in Massachusetts.
Nation-wide, there have been 2,104,346 cases and 116,140 deaths.
According to the state website, in Acushnet there have been 87 confirmed cases, and 236 cases in Fairhaven.
According to a press release by the governor’s office: “Social distancing, wearing face coverings, the frequent use of disinfectant and handwashing have been important to the Commonwealth’s efforts to decrease the number and rate of newly confirmed positive cases. COVID-19 can spread easily and quickly in large groups of people who are in close contact. Some people do not have symptoms but may have the virus and could spread the virus to others, including family members.”
The state continues to focus on testing, increasing tests at nursing homes and other congregate care settings.
The state currently has capacity at 45 labs to perform up to 30,000 COVID-19 tests per day.
The state has applied for federal funding that would increase lab testing capacity to 45,000 per day by the end of July; provide on-demand access to testing for all sympomatic individuals and their close contacts; build testing infrastructure to support a potential second surge.
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