COVID-19 deaths hit single day high; Cities mandate masks

BOSTON (AP) — The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Massachusetts surged by 252 on Wednesday, the state’s single highest daily death total since the start of the pandemic.

The increase brought the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts to 3,405. More than half of all deaths — 1,982 — occurred at long-term care facilities.

The state also reported more than 1,900 new cases of the coronavirus for a total of more than 60,200 confirmed cases since the pandemic’s start.

More than 1,000 COVID-19 patients are currently in intensive care units.

One glimmer of hope is a tiny decline in the number of people reported hospitalized with COVID-19. Gov. Charlie Baker has said a significant decline in the hospitalization number is key to reopening the state’s economy, now planned for May 18.

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CITIES MANDATE MASKS

More Massachusetts cities are requiring residents and visitors to wear face masks or other facial covering when in public — or risk a $300 fine.

Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera said a new order mandating the use of facial coverings took effect Wednesday.

The Democrat said in a press release that the city continues to have some of the highest rates of coronavirus infections in the state.

“Residents and anyone traveling to Lawrence for essential business will be required to wear a mask when outside or in public places, or face a hefty fine,” Rivera said.

Lawrence joins Cambridge and Somerville in mandating the use of facial coverings in public spaces. The step is intended to help slow the person-to-person spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has resisted issuing a statewide mandate, but said his office is recommending the use of facial coverings, especially in areas where it is hard to maintain at least a 6 foot distance from others, like markets or pharmacies.

“That’s to protect you from others but also to protect others from you,” Baker said at a Wednesday press conference. “There’s a lot of evidence that many of the people who contract COVID-19 don’t show symptoms but are in fact carriers and are contagious.”

He said he had no problem with mayors and other local officials creating tougher mandates, saying they have a better sense of what is happening in their communities.

The use of face masks may become more prevalent — particularly on public transportation — as the state gradually emerges from the state of emergency and stay-at-home advisories that remain in effect until May 18, Baker said.

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COVID-19 DEATHS-UNDERCOUNT

Public health officials in Massachusetts are researching whether there have been more COVID-19-related deaths in the state beyond the official count of more than 3,400.

Baker said Wednesday that most people believe COVID-19 death rates are probably undercounted because the coronavirus was likely present in Massachusetts and other areas in the U.S. before people truly understood and appreciated what it was.

“People have gone back and started to do some work to try and figure out if there are cases where people presented with what would have been deemed as COVID-19 type symptoms and possibly were categorized in some other way,” Baker said Wednesday.

The first confirmed COVID-19-related death in Massachusetts was recorded on March 20. Baker said public health officials are trying to determine if any deaths that preceded March 20 were also related to the disease.

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MEDICAL SCHOOL FURLOUGHS

The University of Massachusetts Medical School has announced plans to furlough about 100 employees for up to six months to offset financial losses sparked by the coronavirus crisis.

It was “no longer sustainable” to pay all employees, spokeswoman Sarah Willey said in a statement Tuesday.

The furloughed workers account for about 2% of the Worcester school’s workforce of around 6,000 employees. They could be brought back sooner than six months, and will still receive health care coverage and other benefits while they are furloughed, Willey said.

The school previously announced a hiring freeze and implemented wage and salary freezes.

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MCAS REPRIEVE

About 1,000 Massachusetts high school seniors at risk of failing to graduate because they have not yet passed the MCAS exam, which was canceled this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic, have been given a reprieve by the state Board of Education.

Those seniors can now graduate by showing that they successfully completed a course with the same subject matter that would have been on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam, officials determined Tuesday.

State education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley recommended that the state review the students’ transcripts to help move them along to graduation.

Details are still being worked on.