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Previous updates: May 10 to 17

Friday, June 5

35 new COVID-19 deaths reported Friday.

According to new public health data released by the state, there are now 7,235 COVID-19 deaths in the state after another 35 were reported Friday.

Officials say there have been 494 new cases Friday; 420 are confirmed cases and 74 are probable.

There are now a total of 98,796 confirmed cases in the state and 3,761 probable cases.

State health officials report there are currently 1,533 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down 104 from Thursday.

Thursday, June 4

State announces new COVID-19 deaths, cases

The state is reporting another 50 COVID-19 related deaths Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths in Massachusetts to 7,201.

Health officials reported 471 new cases Thursday; 412 of those are confirmed cases and 59 are probable. There are now 98,376 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state and 3,687 probable cases.

Over 7,000 testes were performed, bringing the total number of tests to 621,248.

According to state data for June 4, there are currently 1,637 people hospitalized for COVID-19; 401 in ICU.

1.8 million filed for unemployment across U.S. last week

Another 1.8 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, just under 250,000 fewer than the week prior.

The number in Massachusetts dropped more than 10,000 to 27,174.

Wednesday, June 3

78,108 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recovered in the state

According to new numbers released by Mass. DPH officials, a total of 78,108 people who contracted COVID-19 have been released from isolation. 12,844 cases continue in isolation.

DPH issued a note on cases that are no longer in isolation, saying:

“Individuals who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and are no longer in isolation are considered for purposes of this report to be recovered. As part of this definition, DPH is counting people as released from isolation after 21 days of illness or 21 days past the date of their test in all settings including nursing homes and state facilities.”

State announces 68 new COVID-19 deaths, 429 new confirmed cases

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced 68 more deaths from the novel coronavirus have been reported. Earlier this week, the state announced their new reporting system for COVID-19 cases and deaths, which includes both confirmed and probable cases and deaths.

According to Wednesday’s report, all 68 deaths are confirmed to have been from the deadly virus, while only 425 of the 429 new cases were confirmed, where four of the new cases are probable.

On their most recent dashboard, health officials say the rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases is more concentrated in Suffolk County than in any other county in the state.

Regarding testing, Mass. DPH is reporting that 8,362 new molecular tests have been administered in the state, while 849 people have received antibody tests since DPH’s latest update Monday. In total, 614,133 molecular tests have been administered in Mass. and 47,414 people have received antibody tests.

Tuesday, June 2

Mass. DPH announces 50 new COVID-19 deaths, 358 additional positive cases using new reporting system

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced on Tuesday that 50 more people have died as a result of COVID-19 in the state. DPH is on their second day of using their new reporting system of counting both confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and deaths. They broke down these numbers later in their daily report, explaining that all 50 of the new deaths are confirmed from COVID-19.

Those deaths push the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in Massachusetts to 7,085 people, with 6,944 of those deaths confirmed to be from the coronavirus.

Mass. DPH also announced that there are now 358 new cases of COVID-19 in the state. Of those cases, 248 are confirmed, while 110 are probable, according to the department. Altogether, that means there are 101,163 total cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth; 97,539 of those cases are confirmed.

Regarding testing, Mass. DPH is reporting that 5,852 new molecular tests have been administered in the state, while 885 people have received antibody tests since DPH’s latest update Monday. In total, 652,336 tests have been administered in Mass. with 605,771 people receiving molecular tests and 46,565 people receiving antibody tests.

Monday, June 1

New daily COVID-19 numbers jump as Mass. DPH implements new reporting system

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced on Monday evening that they are implementing a change in how they report daily COVID-19 information, which usually includes the latest number of daily infections, deaths, and tests performed for the coronavirus. According to DPH, new guidance from the Center for Disease Control indicates that “probable COVID-19 cases” should be counted by the state in their data reporting.

Probable COVID-19 cases are defined by the CDC as people who have either 1.) had a positive antibody test along with either COVID-19 symptoms or possible exposure to a positive case, or 2.) people who have not had an antibody test but instead had COVID-19 symptoms and were exposed to a positive case. An individual who fits either of those criteria and who also was not given a molecular test qualifies as a “probable case.”

Probable cases also include people who have died and have COVID-19 listed as the cause of their death, even if they were not tested.

That change took effect on Monday when Mass. DPH released their latest daily collection of COVID-19 data. The state also made a point to mention that the data included in Monday’s totals was collected using this new criterion and that they retroactively reviewed their data all the way back to March 1, 2020 before adding in those updated numbers into today’s totals.

With that in mind, Mass. DPH announced that 189 more people have died as a result of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, pushing the death toll to 7,035 people. They also reported an increase of 3,840 new cases of the coronavirus in the state, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Mass. to 100,805.

The state also clarified its testing methods in their latest update. Previously, they had only published how many new tests were administered and how many people total had been tested. On Monday, DPH grouped its testing numbers into two categories: those tested by molecular tests (the standard viral test) and those tested by antibody tests, which are blood tests.

On Monday, Mass. DPH reported that 7,066 new people were tested via molecular test, and that 599,919 people in total have been tested using that method. The state also announced that 202 people received antibody tests, bringing the total number of antibody tests administered in Mass. to 45,680.

Sunday, May 31

Mass. Department of Public Health reports increase in daily COVID-19 deaths, decrease in new positive cases

The amount of new daily COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts has risen again after two consecutive days of decline, according to the Mass. Department of Public Health. DPH announced on Sunday evening that 78 new deaths from the virus have occurred in the state since their latest update on Saturday.

Those 78 additional deaths push the death toll in Massachusetts from COVID-19 to 6,846 people.

Additionally, Mass. DPH also reported that there are 664 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, a decrease from Saturday’s 789 new cases. That means that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Commonwealth is now at 96,965.

The total number of COVID-19 tests performed in the state has also increased after Mass. DPH announced that 10,334 new tests have been administered in Massachusetts. That means that, in total, 592,853 tests have been administered for the coronavirus in the state.

Saturday, May 30

Mass. DPH announces 50 new COVID-19 deaths, 789 additional cases in state

The death toll from COVID-19 in Massachusetts has risen to 6,768 people on Saturday after the state’s Department of Public Health announced that 50 more people have died from the virus as of Saturday afternoon. This is the second day in a row that the number of new, daily COVID-19 deaths has decreased after 93 deaths were announced on Thursday and 78 deaths were announced on Friday.

Mass. DPH also announced that 789 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the state, pushing the total number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts to 96,301. Those new cases are an increase from Friday’s 617 new COVID-19 cases in Mass.

The state said that 10,774 new tests have been administered in Massachusetts for COVID-19, increasing the number of total tests performed in the Commonwealth to 582,519.

“Communities are being destroyed”

"Communities are being destroyed" Former Boston Police superintendent in chief and Boston 25 security analyst Dan Linskey talks about recent protests in Boston and Minneapolis.

Former Boston Police superintendent in chief and Boston 25 security analyst Dan Linskey talked about Friday’s protest in Boston that turned violent, what Boston and State Police are doing to help keep protests peaceful, and spoke on the Minneapolis protests and how media is being affected.

Friday, May 29:

Mass. DPH reports 78 new COVID-19 deaths

As of Friday, state health officials report a total of 6,718 COVID-19 deaths in Mass. after an additional 78 people died.

The state reports 617 new cases and 9,422 tests. There are now 95,512 confirmed cases in the Commonwealth and over 570,000 tests have been performed.

Thursday, May 28

Mass. DPH reports 93 new COVID-19 deaths, 675 additional cases in state

As of Thursday, 93 more people were reported to have died from COVID-19 as 675 new cases were confirmed. Health officials say 10,179 more people have gotten tested.

So far, there have been 6,640 deaths in the state in connection to the virus, 94,895 people have tested positive and 562,323 total tests have been performed since the outbreak began.

Based on data released on Wednesday, most of the deaths happened inside assisted-living facilities.

Wednesday, May 27

Mass. DPH reports 74 new COVID-19 deaths, 527 additional cases in state

The number of new COVID-19-related deaths in Massachusetts has increased for the second day in a row following a stretch of five days of constant decreases. The state’s Department of Public Health announced that 74 new COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Mass., an increase of 17 people from Tuesday.

In total, 6,547 people in Massachusetts have died from COVID-19.

Additionally, Mass. DPH also reported that there are 527 new cases of the virus in the Commonwealth, an increase of more than 100 cases from yesterday’s update. That pushes the total number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts to 94,220.

The total amount of tests performed in the state has risen to 552,144 on Wednesday, after Mass. DPH announced that 6,663 tests were administered since their last update on Tuesday.

Tuesday, May 26:

57 new COVID-19-related deaths reported, 422 new cases confirmed as 4,920 more people are tested

On Tuesday, health officials in the state announced 57 new deaths from the novel coronavirus were reported while 422 new cases were confirmed. As of Tuesday, an additional 4,920 people were tested for the virus.

So far, the state has seen 6,473 deaths from COVID-19, 93,693 cases confirmed and 545,481 tests performed.

For the full update on Tuesday’s COVID-19 numbers, visit the Department of Public Health’s website here.

Mass RMV implementing further extensions to expiring licenses, learner’s permits and plate registrations

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) announced on Tuesday it will be implementing further extensions to the renewal timelines for expiring licenses and learner’s permits, motor vehicle inspections, passenger plate registrations and professional credentials.

While RMV officials had announced an the extensions for most credentials, passenger plate registrations and inspection stickers expired or expiring in March, April, and May, Tuesday’s announcement will apply additional extension to those credentials and an extension to some credentials expiring in June, July, and August.

The extensions have been put in place to reduce the number of people gathering at RMV service centers and to allow for customers to better practice social distancing. For more information on the added extensions, visit the RMV’s website here.

Tuesday news conferences

Governor Charlie Baker will speak at approximately noon.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will speak at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Boston 25 News will carry both online and on air.

Monday, May 25

Daily COVID-19 deaths drop for fifth straight day; number of new cases drops from Sunday

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced an additional 44 COVID-19 deaths in the state on Monday, marking the fifth day in a row that the daily number of new deaths has decreased. Those 44 deaths also push the total number of fatalities in Massachusetts from the virus to 6,416 people.

The state also reported 596 new cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, a decline from the 1,013 new cases reported on Sunday. There are 93,271 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mass., according to the Department of Public Health.

Mass. DPH also announced that 8,188 new tests have been administered in the state, bringing the total number of tests performed in Mass. to 540,561.

Sunday, May 24

Daily COVID-19 deaths drop for fourth straight day; number of new cases increases

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced an additional 68 COVID-19 deaths in the state on Sunday, marking the fourth day in a row that the daily number of new deaths has decreased. Those 68 deaths also push the total number of fatalities in Massachusetts from the virus to 6,372 people.

The state also reported 1,013 new cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, which is a 240-case increase from Saturday’s total of 773 new coronavirus cases. Altogether, there are 92,675 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mass., according to the Department of Public Health.

Mass. DPH also announced that 11,387 new tests have been administered in the state since their Saturday update, bringing the total number of tests performed in Mass. to 532,373.

Saturday, May 23

Mass. DPH announces 76 new COVID-19 deaths, 773 additional cases in state

For the third consecutive day, the number of new deaths from COVID-19 in Massachusetts has decreased, after Mass. DPH announced 76 new deaths from the virus as of Saturday evening. The daily death total from the virus has hovered around 80 people the last three days, after 126 new deaths were reported on Wednesday, May 20.

After adding in Saturday’s numbers, the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the state stands at 6,304 people, per Mass. DPH.

The state’s Department of Public Health also reported Saturday that 773 additional cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Massachusetts since their latest update Friday. Saturday is the second straight day that the number of new, daily COVID-19 cases has decreased in the state.

In total. there are 91,662 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.

Mass. DPH also announced that 9,342 new tests were performed since Friday, pushing the total number of COVID-19 tests administered in the state to 520,986.

Friday, May 22

DPH reports 80 new COVID-19 deaths, 805 new cases

State health officials report another 80 COVID-19 deaths in Mass. Friday, bringing the state death toll to 6,228.

There have been an additional 805 confirmed cases. There are now 90,889 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.

Officials report 10,158 new tests. A total of 511, 644 tests have been performed in the state.

Thursday, May 21

82 new COVID-19 deaths announced in state by Mass. DPH

The death toll in Massachusetts from COVID-19 has risen as the state’s Department of Public Health reported 82 new deaths from COVID-19 in the state. That daily total brings the total number of deaths in Massachusetts from the virus to 6,148 people.

The state also announced 1,114 new cases of COVID-19 in Mass., moving the total number of confirmed cases to 90,084.

In addition to those new cases, Mass. DPH reported that 11,533 new coronavirus tests were performed since Wednesday’s update, meaning that there have been 501,486 total tests administered for the virus in Massachusetts.

Boston Mayor: Focus on progress we’ve made

Moving forward, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said his organization will work to support small businesses, help overcome challenges to safety, and plan for reopening.

“There should be no play dates still, no visiting the elderly and those at high risk, and no sports,” Walsh said.

The city has added a new reopening section to Boston.gov/coronavirus.

Another new site, Boston.gov/business-ppe, offers businesses with a guide to safety equipment required for businesses to operate.

Unemployment claims rise to 39 million

Another 2.4 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, according to the latest numbers tallied by the U.S. Department of Labor.

This week’s report counted 38,328 filings from Massachusetts in the week ending May 16. That’s over 6,000 fewer than the week previous.

The total unemployment claims across the U.S. since the pandemic lockdown began has now reached over 39 million, according to the report.

Last week’s count is down slightly from the previous week as some businesses have been to reopen, especially in southern states.

Wednesday, May 20

128 new COVID-19 deaths announced in state by Mass. DPH

The death toll in Massachusetts from COVID-19 has risen above 6,000 people on Wednesday as the state’s Department of Public Health reported 128 new deaths from COVID-19 in the state. That daily total - which is the first to be above 100 deaths since Saturday, May 17 - brings the total number of deaths in Massachusetts from the virus to 6,066 people.

The state also announced 1,045 new cases of COVID-19 in Mass., moving the total number of confirmed cases to 88,970.

In addition to those new cases, Mass. DPH reported that 13,013 new coronavirus tests were performed since Tuesday’s update, meaning that there have been 489,953 total tests administered for the virus in Massachusetts.

Tuesday, May 19

Mass. DPH announces 76 new COVID-19 deaths, 873 additional positive cases in state

For the third day in a row, the state’s Department of Public Health announced that the latest daily total of COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts is fewer than 100 people. After totals of 92 deaths on Sunday and 65 new deaths on Monday, Mass. DPH reported on Tuesday that there are 76 new deaths from the coronavirus in the Commonwealth.

That pushes the death toll in the state from the virus to 5,938 people.

Additionally, Mass. DPH also announced that there are 873 new cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 87,925.

The state is also reporting that 7,741 additional COVID-19 tests have been administered in Massachusetts, vaulting the total number of tests performed in the Commonwealth to 476,940.

Mayor Marty Walsh gave updates on coronavirus

Boston Mayor Walsh said that overall health data shows that we’re “moving in the right direction” in Massachusetts.

But, he emphasized the importance of continuing to practice social distancing, hand washing, covering our faces and disinfecting surfaces as much as possible.

He said that reopening Boston doesn’t mean we’ll get back to our former normal, but rather bringing caution to stopping the spread and meeting the needs of families, seniors and small businesses.

Regarding office spaces reopening in the city, he said businesses will reopen on June 1 with a capacity of 25%. He said guidelines will be shared next week on how employers can keep workers safe and their businesses up and running.

Although, he said if employers don’t feel comfortable reopening on June 1, they don’t have to.

“We will not take steps that put anyone at undo risk,” Walsh said.

He closed his remarks by wanting to recognize the 46th annual National EMS Week.

“This year they deserve a special thank you," Walsh said, saying they’ve distinguished themselves by their skills, passion and courage working on the front lines of the coronavirus.

"How lucky we are to have them as members and heroes,” Walsh said.

On Monday, Gov. Baker announced the details of his 4-phase approach to reopening the Commonwealth.

Monday, May 18

65 new COVID-19 deaths announced by Mass. DPH, number of COVID-19 cases tops 87,000

The state’s Department of Public Health announced on Monday afternoon that 65 more people have died from COVID-19 in Massachusetts since their last update on Sunday. That pushes the death toll in the state to 5,862 people.

Mass. DPH also announced that an additional 1,042 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the state, raising the total number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts to 87,052.

The total number of coronavirus tests administered in Massachusetts has reached 469,199 after Mass. DPH reported that 8,373 new tests have been performed.

Gov. Charlie Baker explains his Phase 1 plan to reopen Massachusetts

Gov. Baker laid out what he called a road map to reopening Massachusetts while still fighting the spread of coronavirus.

“We cannot move forward unless we commit to slowing the spread,” Baker said.

“The toll this virus takes and continues to take on many of us is staggering, but the response, the fight the millions of people who do what they have to do to push back has been brave and bigger,” he said.

Baker said all four phases to reopen will last approximately three weeks, but could last longer depending on what the health data reveals.

In Phase 1, Baker said all businesses must meet self-certification requirements to reopen.

Essential businesses can continue to stay open and operate, meeting safety standards and self-certifying by May 25.

Today, religious organizations can open under guidelines, with outdoor services encouraged.

Also beginning today, manufacturing and construction can begin to reopen. Hospitals and community health centers who “attest to meeting specific capacity criteria and public health/safety standards” will be allowed to resume a limited set of in-person, preventative, diagnostic and treatment services.

On May 25, a variety of businesses will be allowed to start reopening, including lab and office spaces, hair salons, pet grooming, car washes, retail and outdoor recreation areas. On June 1, office spaces in Boston will reopen.

Baker also changed the state’s stay-at-home advisory to a safer-at-home advisory, encouraging people to stay at home as much as possible.

“If we don’t keep up the fight...we run the risk of creating a second spike in the fall,” Baker said. “Thankfully millions and millions of people have answered the call and played their part.”

Click here for the full report breakdown on Gov. Baker’s plan to reopen Massachusetts.

Dr. Jon Santiago says he’s seeing headway, but warns of reopening too quickly

Dr. Santiago, an emergency room doctor at Boston Medical Center, joined Gene this morning to talk about what he’s seeing regarding coronavirus at his hospital.

Santiago worked this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday and said “we’re making some headway" at BMC.

“What’s happening at BMC is consistent with what’s happening across the Commonwealth,” Santiago said.

He’s seen a “significant decrease” in the number of patients with coronavirus at BMC. During the peak of the virus, BMC had somewhere between 200 and 230 patients, he said. Last he checked a few days ago, there were around 60 patients in the whole hospital.

He said volume in the ER has picked up steeply for patients coming in for trauma and every day accidents -- it’s the busiest it has been in the past couple of months.

Gov. Charlie Baker is holding a news conference at 11 a.m. today, expecting to detail what Phase 1 of reopening Massachusetts looks like. Santiago said that while he thinks the state has done a good job of social distancing, testing is still important. He said there could be a surge if Massachusetts reopens too early.

“We’re doing that [testing] because we don’t have a vaccine right now,” Santiago said, adding that the state will have to increase testing significantly.

"Just over the past couple days, what we’ve seen, anywhere from 10, 11, 12, 13,000 tests, but what the Governor has proposed, by June, July is to have upwards of 45,000 tests a day.

"It’s estimated that about 70% of people have not been infected by the virus. So if we open up the economy, everyone’s out at restaurants, you’re dining at bars, and not really taking care of staying six feet away from people, not having a mask, we can see another surge.”

Dr. Santiago: We're making headway, but warns of surge if we reopen too quickly "We had during the peak, somewhere between 200 and 230 patients and now, last I checked a couple days ago, we were down to 60 patients in the whole hospital," said Dr. Jon Santiago, an ER doctor at Boston Medical Center.

RESOURCES:

- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information

- Boston Coronavirus Information

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