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Gov. Baker: Second Step Of Reopening Phase 2 Will Begin Monday

At a press conference Friday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the state would move forward with phase two of its reopening plan on Monday, June 22, advancing into "step two," 10 days after the phase began.

That means that come Monday, indoor dining and close-contact personal services, like nail salons, will be allowed to reopen. It also means that offices, which were previously capped at 20% capacity, may welcome back employees up to 50% capacity, and that retailers can open fitting rooms by appointment.

Baker said that positive trends in Massachusetts' public health data allow for the state's quick progress through its reopening process. He said that positive test rates have fallen 92% since mid-April, now at 2.3%, and that hospitalization rates have decreased 72% over the same period. Baker said that there are currently less than 1,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 across the state, and that almost no hospitals are still using surge capacity.

"This is how, over time, we contain the virus and continue to reopen," he said.

Still, Baker urged caution as the state continued to gradually reopen its economy.

“We should keep in mind that COVID doesn't take the summer off," Baker said. "We cannot, and should not, become complacent.”

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Liam Knox Digital Producer
Freelance digital producer for On Point and WBUR news. 

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