June 6 Coronavirus Update

The Governor announced today that Massachusetts will be moving into Phase 2 of the Coronavirus recovery plan on Monday. This is a big step forward and will be welcome news for the businesses that will begin to reopen. A list of specific businesses and services that will be reopening on Monday is included below. 

All of the basic health and safety practices will remain in place during phase two including face coverings, social distancing, proper hygiene and sanitizing. 

While the details of Phase 2 are fairly comprehensive, there will surely be many questions as we move through implementation. If you or your business have questions or concerns about the Phase 2 reopening, please let me know. You should also provide your feedback to the Governor’s Reopening Advisory Board directly through this online form.  

New Updates

Coronavirus Testing and Response

• Today, the state saw 575 new reported positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, with 103,132 total cases and 55 reported deaths as of today at 4pm. 
• The average new cases over the last 7 days is 474, and the average number of deaths is 55.
• The 7-day weighted average positive test rate in Massachusetts is 5.2%.
• 1,529 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, a decrease of 4 from yesterday.
• The Department of Public Health regularly releases a daily reporting dashboard containing detailed information on hospitalizations, demographic data, and county-by-county breakdowns of cases. To view the DPH dashboard, visit here.

Health Care Response

• Hospital Capacity: As of 6/6, 53% of the Commonwealth’s 17,300 permanent and temporary hospital beds are available for new patients if needed. In the MetroWest region, 50% of the region’s 2,800 beds are available for new patients.
• Long-term care: As of 6/6, there are 351 long-term care facilities with at least one case of COVID-19 and 22,058 staff and residents in facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19. 4,537 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in long-term care facilities.

Reopening Update

The Governor announced today that following businesses will be eligible to reopen in Step One of Phase II which begins this Monday, June 8, with contingencies:

• Retail, with occupancy limits;
• Childcare facilities and day camps, with detailed guidance;
• Restaurants, outdoor table service only;
• Hotels and other lodgings, no events, functions or meetings;
• Warehouses and distribution centers;
• Personal services without close physical contact, such as home cleaning, photography, window washing, career coaching and education tutoring;
• Post-secondary, higher education, vocational-tech and occupation schools for the purpose of completing graduation requirements;
• Youth and adult amateur sports, with detailed guidance;
• Outdoor recreation facilities
• Professional sports practices, no games or public admissions;
• Non-athletic youth instructional classes in arts, education or life skills and in groups of less than 10;
• Driving and flight schools
• Outdoor historical spaces, no functions, gatherings or guided tours;
• Funeral homes, with occupancy limits

The following businesses will be eligible reopen in Step Two of Phase II at a later date to be determined:

•  Indoor table service at restaurants
• Close-contact personal services, with restrictions, including:

• Hair removal and replacement
• Nail care
• Skin care
• Massage therapy
• Makeup salons and makeup application services
• Tanning salons
• Tattoo, piercing and body art services
• Personal training, with restrictions

 Full list and safety protocols available at www.mass.gov/reopening. 

Additional other sector specific guidance was also released:

• Close Contact Personal Services
• Sectors Not Otherwise Addressed

Health care providers may also incrementally resume in-person elective, non-urgent procedures and services, including routine office visits, dental visits and vision care subject to compliance with public health and safety standards. All other in-person medical, behavioral health, dental and vision services may also resume on June 8th, except for elective cosmetic procedures and in-person day programs, which will be included in Phase III. Telehealth must continue to be utilized and prioritized to the greatest extent possible, whenever feasible and appropriate.

Limited reopening of visitation will also begin, and all visitation is subject to infection control protocol, social distancing and face coverings. Given the diversity of facilities and programs, there are specific timetables for visitation, and congregate care programs will be reaching out to families with specific details on scheduling visits.  Read the full guidance here.

Click here for the Governor’s Phase II Executive Order. 

Click here for the Governor’s Revised Gatherings Executive Order.

Click here for today’s presentation by the Governor.

Local Resources

All of the towns in the 8th Middlesex District now have centralized COVID-19 resource pages with resources, updates, and alerts regarding town services.

Holliston | Hopkinton | Southborough | Westborough

The Department of Public Health also releases weekly reports on town-by-town COVID-19 case numbers and rates, which can be found online here.

Resources for Residents Experiencing Job Loss or Loss of Income

COVID-19 is causing broad disruption to the economy which is affecting incomes of many residents and families. There are a number of state resources and supports available to support workers who may find themselves unemployed or otherwise income-constrained during this uncertain time. 

Guide for job/income loss resources: https://carolyndykema.com/covid19-state-resources

Department of Unemployment Assistance: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-unemployment-assistance

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
• CARES Act Unemployment Changes
• Unemployment Town Halls

Department of Transitional Assistance: https://www.mass.gov/dta-covid-19-resources-and-support

• Pandemic-EBT benefits for schoolchildren

How You Can Help

Holliston Youth and Family Services requests your support of the Community Action Fund, which provides emergency assistance to those affected by COVID-19. Learn more or donate here.

The Westborough Rotary Club has launched a COVID-19 Community Relief Fund to provide assistance to those affected by COVID-19. Learn more or donate here.

The American Red Cross is asking for blood donations, the need for which is significant due to blood drive cancellations. The need is dire due to the cancellation of hundreds of blood drives. People can donate at the Worcester American Red Cross Donor Center, 381 Plantation St. Worcester or call 1-800-RED CROSS. Some local donor sites, including the Natick Senior Center, are available for appointments as well.

Information on our local food pantries can be found below. The most pressing need right now is cash donations to ensure that food drop-off and delivery do not inadvertently contribute to the spread of the virus.

Holliston Pantry Shelf | Project Just Because | Southborough Food Pantry | Westborough Food Pantry

Current Statewide Advisories

Safer at Home: As of May 18, the statewide stay-at-home advisory is now the  Safer at Home advisory. In many ways, this advisory remains in the same spirit as previous policies: You should practice social distancing and limit your non-essential interactions as much as possible. 

Face Covering: As reopening continues, the statewide face covering advisory remains in effect for public indoor and outdoor spaces in situations where social distancing is not possible. The full advisory and detailed guidance can be found online.

Reopening Guidance: For more information on the state’s phased reopening plan and particular industry-specific guidance, visit mass.gov/reopening. For questions about business reopening timelines, visit this page.

A list of all executive orders in place during the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 state of emergency can be found here.