By Jeff Tirrell
(BOSTON) –Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker Tuesday said the Commonwealth is past the surge of Covid 19 cases. Baker said the state’s numbers continue to trend in a positive direction. As of Monday, the rate of positive tests was at 9%, which is on par with what has been reported for over a week. Hospitalizations have seen what Baker called “a significant decrease” over the past two to three weeks. Baker said seeing those numbers trending that way over a span of weeks makes it clear the peak has passed, enabling the state to begin reopening.
“Phase 1 of the reopening is now underway and more sectors are slowly reopening,” he said. “This data indicates we are trending in the right direction.”
Among those industries reopening this week are hair salons, and Baker said he got his hair cut at 7 a.m. Thursday.
“The place I got my hair cut had plexiglass between the chairs, I had to wet my hair before I got there, I wore a mask the entire time,” he said. “The gentleman who cut my hair wore a mask and gown the entire time and I was out in 20 minutes. I would expect that’s a similar experience to what other people are having.”
Baker also announced Tuesday that the state has launched a new $36 million program to help battle food insecurity statewide. As part of the program, food boxes will be delivered to food banks across the state to assist vulnerable populations. Each food box contains enough food for 35 meals. Another positive development: the four field hospitals that were set up earlier in the spring have begun to shut down.