Updated 4:05 pm
Select businesses could begin to reopen on May 18 if public health data trends in a positive direction, according to Gov. Charlie Baker who presented a four-phase reopening plan Monday.
“We have to ensure that when we take one step forward we don’t take two steps back,” Baker said.
The first phase, dubbed “start,” will have conditional openings on business with minimal face-to-face interactions. Phase two, “cautious,” will build on the first phase. Phase three, “vigilant” will focus on loosening restrictions on earlier phases. The final phase is called “the new normal.”
More information will be released in the coming days on which industries can reopen in the first phase.
As the reopening advisory board is set to unveil its reopening plans next week, Baker stressed that it all depends on the data.
“We all know life will be different, but as the medical and life science communities make progress in developing treatments or vaccines, we can really begin to put this virus into the rear view mirror. But none of that is going to happen overnight,” Baker said.
This comes as the Island has had few cases and even fewer hospitalizations since it began testing in March. It also comes as the state has begun to show a decline in cases and deaths from COVID-19.
The Island has been reopening parts of its economy with a phased in plan for construction workers. As of Monday, construction crews were able to begin having five member crews on site.
Following confirmation of two new cases, confirmed cases on COVID-19 rose to 26 Monday.
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported 23 positive tests Monday. Overall the hospital has tested 576 people with 551 negative tests and two pending results. No COVID-19 patients are being hospitalized.
The Martha’s Vineyard boards of health has reported three separate cases that were deemed positive after receiving positive antibody tests. The latest case reported by the boards on Sunday is no longer ill.
The 24th COVID-19 positive patient was deemed positive after receiving an antibody test, according to Tisbury health agent and boards of health spokesperson Maura Valley. That patient was ill in March, contacted their local board of health and self-isolated during the time, but was not tested.
Of the 26 confirmed cases, 15 are female and 11 are male. Nine of the cases are aged 50-59 years old, seven cases are 60-69 years old, five are 20-29 years old, two are 30-39 years old, two are 40-49, and one is 20 years old or younger.
On the state level Monday, there were 669 new confirmed cases were reported — down by about 400 from the previous day. There were 129 new deaths, down 10. Massachusetts has a total of 78,462 confirmed cases and 5,108 deaths. Overall, 394,728 tests have been performed across the state with 4 percent of all cases currently hospitalized.
Updated to include Baker’s four phase plan and new confirmed Island case. — Ed.
Interesting….
https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20200511&instance_id=18384&nl=the-morning®i_id=118631946&segment_id=27239&te=1&user_id=4f9a387a5a9c2df687317061fc73667f
If this scholar is correct (and the article sure is convincing), we are locked into a “new normal” for the foreseeable future. Those of us who can work alone outside will be OK but I have worries for those who must work in “real jobs”.
This is not at all helpful. What is Baker doing? How about listing specific businesses or dates for these phases. His outline is useless.
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
The worlds has over 4 million infected with Covid-19, MV has reached 26 cases and rising..Let’s decide to do this instead..:/)
MV-Born, maybe you can sit at home for an undetermined amount of time but not everyone can nor do I believe that people want to continue to hide in their homes.
The latest case on the island was a positive anti body test, which means they had been sick at some point. We need herd immunity.
IF the numbers start to come up again, we would then need to reevaluate.
I think most healthy people want to go back to some sort of “normal” life, especially work.
Barreled, thank you and thank The Times for printing this comment and link. I found it informative and not hysterical. Enough information included so one may choose one’s activities with a fair amount of security. Most importantly, it outlines the risks involved which is invaluable to me. A big shout out for this article.
Right now, more people are suffering without work than the risk of infection. The Governor needs to open businesses as quickly as possible!
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