Watch Gov. Charlie Baker Provide Live Coronavirus Update – NBC Boston
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is scheduled to provide a coronavirus update on Friday afternoon.
He is set to speak at 1 p.m. at the State House. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders and Undersecretary of Homeland Security Jeanne Benincasa Thorpe are also expected to attend.
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Starting Friday, most travelers entering Massachusetts from Rhode Island have to quarantine for two weeks unless they recently tested negative for COVID-19.
Rhode Island has been removed from a list of eight low-risk states exempt from Massachusetts travel restrictions, the state Department of Public Health announced Tuesday, citing increases in both Rhode Island’s positive test rate and cases per 100,000.
Under new restrictions that took effect Saturday, both Massachusetts residents returning from trips to 42 non-exempt states and travelers from those states must self-isolate for 14 days or prove that they tested negative for coronavirus within the past three days. Violators could be fined up to $500 per day, but Baker said enforcement is based on an “honor system.”
Starting Friday, most travelers entering Massachusetts from Rhode Island will have to quarantine for two weeks unless they recently tested negative for COVID-19.
Massachusetts reported 32 newly confirmed deaths linked to COVID-19 on Thursday — bringing the total number of confirmed and probable deaths to 8,691 since the start of the pandemic.
It’s the most deaths reported on a single day in a month. There were just two confirmed deaths reported on Wednesday.
The state also on Thursday reported 231 newly confirmed and probable cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Governor Charlie Baker said that lapses in judgment are contributing to “a slight but important rise” in coronavirus cases in Massachusetts.
That brings the total number of confirmed and probable cases to nearly 119,900 in Massachusetts since the start of the pandemic.
There were 403 people reported hospitalized Monday because of COVID-19, while 73 were in intensive care units.
The number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 related deaths at long-term care homes rose to 5,541 or nearly 64% of all confirmed and probable deaths in Massachusetts attributed to the disease.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
