State reports 486 new COVID-19 cases, 51 new deaths as it enters Phase 3
BOSTON -- Massachusetts pressed onward into the third phase of the Baker administration's reopening plan Monday, allowing fitness centers, museums and movie theaters to welcome customers after months offline.
The latest step reflects continued optimism as public health metrics hold close to steady in Massachusetts and as COVID cases continue to accelerate in dozens of other states.
State public health officials revised their presentation of data with Monday's daily report, listing the cumulative total of confirmed cases at 104,659. That sum does not include probable cases, which until Monday had been included alongside confirmed cases in a broader -- and larger -- "total cases" number.
Over the three-day holiday weekend, public health officials reported 486 new cases and 51 new deaths, followed by 157 new cases and 15 new deaths on Monday. The rolling average rate of COVID-19 molecular tests to come back positive has remained below 2 percent since last Monday, while the total of patients currently hospitalized has now dropped from 1,503 on June 6 to 626 on Sunday.
The long-term outlook remains murky, but a major response to the pandemic crystallized into definitive change Monday when Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law an expansion of mail-in and early voting for the fall.
The legislation, pitched as a way to balance access to voting with mitigating transmission risks at the ballot box, requires Secretary of State William Galvin to send applications for mail-in ballots to all 4.5 million registered voters.
Meanwhile, the state's largest teachers union argued that state leaders should adopt a more phased-in approach to resuming in-person education in the fall, warning that rushing will cause more harm than good.
Monday DPH Case Update: The Department of Public Health's daily COVID-19 cases update on Monday began listing total confirmed cases and total deaths among confirmed cases on the first page, separating out probable cases and deaths that previously had been counted in the same statistic. By cutting out a portion and reporting those separately, the cumulative totals are smaller at 104,659 confirmed cases since the virus first hit Massachusetts in February. Overall, the DPH said it tracked 157 new confirmed cases and 15 new confirmed deaths on Monday, bringing the total confirmed and probable death toll to 8,198. Key metrics targeted by the Baker administration remained on or near positive trends on Monday.
UMass Dartmouth Taking Blended Approach: UMass Dartmouth plans to offer a combination of face-to-face, remote and hybrid courses this fall, an approach a handful of area institutions have indicated they'll take to adapt their campuses to the COVID-19 era. UMass Dartmouth on Monday announced it will not modify its academic calendar, but plans to hold all courses and exams that are scheduled for after Thanksgiving remotely. All resident students will have the option to be housed in single-occupancy rooms, the school said. "Everyone at UMass Dartmouth recognizes how interactions with peers, robust classroom discussions with world-class faculty, and rewarding extracurricular activities create a powerful college experience," Chancellor Robert Johnson said in a statement. "Even during these uncertain times, we are committed to safely offering as many of these experiences as we possibly can."
Worcester Pot Shop Expands During Pandemic: Worcester medical marijuana dispensary Resinate opened for the first time over the weekend for recreational adult-use sales, with plans to expand its operation further at its stores in Northampton and Grafton. Resinate said it began selling marijuana for all adult use for the first time on Sunday, and plans a Friday morning grand opening celebration. CEO Peter DeCaro said in a statement that the locally owned company "won't waiver" from its mission of serving medical marijuana patients in central Massachusetts, despite its expansion into the recreational market. "We opened during the Pandemic. Not only were we successful in meeting demand, but we've maintained the health and safety of our staff and patients. As we continue to adhere to the re-opening plans set forth by Governor Baker, we are excited to offer the same level of safety to our Adult Use customers," DeCaro said in a statement. Resinate said its cultivation campus was in "full swing" and build-outs of its kitchen and laboratory were underway. It is offering pre-orders and curbside pickup for all recreational and medical users, and delivery to medical patients within a 20-mile radius.
486 New Confirmed Cases Over Holiday Weekend: After the three-day Independence Day weekend, the state's cumulative COVID-19 caseload now stands at 109,974 since the first diagnosis in February, including 104,502 test-confirmed cases and 5,472 probable cases as identified through antibody tests. Across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Department of Public Health reported 486 new confirmed cases, from tests of 25,277 new individuals. Fifty-one new deaths were reported -- 17 on Friday, 23 on Saturday and 11 on Sunday -- and the total death toll stood at 8,183 as of Sunday afternoon. The number of hospitals using their surge capacity rose to five on Thursday, for the first time since June 11, and was back down to two on Saturday. The Sunday afternoon DPH report listed 636 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 100 of which were in intensive care and 46 who were intubated.
Springfield Casino to Reopen July 13: MGM Springfield on Thursday night announced its reopening date: Monday, July 13. Casino operators plan to reopen in a limited capacity, with an invitation-only event taking place ahead of the public reopening. Hotel rooms will not be offered as part of the reopening, with plans for the hotel and additional venues to open "in the coming weeks and months." MGM Springfield plans to utilize a Seven-Point Safety Plan to mitigate COVID-19 risks, protect customers and employees and rapidly respond to new cases. "This is a community that continues to overcome hardships by supporting and caring for one another, and it is a privilege to be a part of it," said Chris Kelley, president of the Northeast Group, MGM Resorts. "When we reopen our doors, we do so with the health and safety of our guests and employees as our number one priority. The property will look a little different, but the great experience at MGM Springfield will remain the same. We look forward to welcoming our guests back." There won't be any valet parking upon reopening, slot machines will be disabled to accommodate six feet between players, and poker, roulette and craps will not be available in the first phase of reopening.