Final update on 3/13/20 at 11:17 p.m.
The total number of identified coronavirus cases in Massachusetts increased from 108 to 123 on Friday afternoon, according to the latest numbers released by the state.
Eighteen cases have now been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control, and 105 cases are being called "presumptive positive" after testing done by the state Department of Public Health.
The vast majority of the cases — 94 of 123 — involve Biogen employees or their contacts following a late February executive meeting in Boston where the virus appears to have spread. Five cases are travel-related.
The total number of patients hospitalized due to the virus is 10.
Here are the totals, by county, including those labeled "confirmed" (by the CDC) and "presumptive positive" (by local labs):
- Berkshire: 9
- Essex: 2
- Middlesex: 60
- Norfolk: 24
- Suffolk: 26
- Worcester: 2
Here are the numbers reported by other New England states:
- Connecticut: 11
- New Hampshire: 6
- Maine: 3
- Rhode Island: 14
- Vermont: 2 (one in Bennington County)
Other updates:
- The Springfield Museums has announced it will temporarily close as of Saturday. Museum officials say it's an effort to protect the public and stem the spread of the new coronavirus. The museums are scheduled to reopen April 3.
- The Springfield Catholic Diocese says all Masses and most other activities are on hold for now, including pastoral in-home and nursing home visits. Catholic schools in the diocese are closing for two weeks.
- Governor Charlie Baker is prohibiting almost all events in Massachusetts that would bring 250 or more people together in the same space, effective immediately, in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus. Schools are not yet being instructed to shut down, as of March 13. Community, leisure and faith-based events — a broad set of categories including sports, fundraisers, concerts, conventions and weddings — are all covered by the ban on large gatherings. The order does not apply to airports and other public travel, medical facilities, grocery stores and other retail locations, or standard government and office business. Baker is urging local officials to make decisions based on their individual circumstances.
- Baker is asking the federal government to allow more private and hospital labs to handle coronavirus tests. He said the Massachusetts state lab is processing four times as many samples as it was last week, but that's not enough. He said the state has on hand enough tests for 5,000 people, but it needs more.
- Secretary of State Bill Galvin wants to make sure every Bay State resident is counted in the census, since missing folks could mean fewer federal dollars, and possibly less representation in Congress. Galvin is now urging residents to complete the Census online at 2020Census.gov.
- Schools Starting To Shutter: Another wave of closures and cancellations announced on Thursday included a number of public school districts that said they were shutting down for anywhere from a few days to a month. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley had a conference call Thursday afternoon with the Department of Public Health that superintendents and other schools officials were invited to join.
- Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo is evaluating whether committee hearings or legislative sessions could be held virtually. But not all corners of the state have broadband access. State Representative Paul Mark said Wednesday if the decision is made to hold legislative sessions online, he can't do that from his home in the small Berkshire County town of Peru. "I can make a landline call, but if there's some kind of a virtual session that I need a video camera and high speed access, I cannot do it from my house," Mark said. "I believe I am the only legislator in the state that's actually in that position still."
- Massachusetts is taking steps to see that residents have access to health insurance coverage during the virus threat. The Massachusetts Health Connector has opened a special, temporary open enrollment period. Spokesperson Jason Lefferts says it'll give more people access to testing and treatment. The sign-up period ends April 25.
- Many events, meetings and conferences are being postponed or canceled. Among them — an annual Catholic gathering in April that attracts 15,000 faithful from around the world to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Divine Mercy Sunday was canceled after organizers consulted local and state officials.
- State universities are now following smaller liberal arts colleges in suspening on-campus classes. On Wednesday, the University of Massachusetts and University of Vermont announced a temporary move to online classes.
- The Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade has been cancelled. City officials announced the decision at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. This follows an announcement that parades in Boston, Hartford and New Haven were also cancelled.
- Hampshire, Williams, Smith and Mount Holyoke colleges have now joined Amherst College in telling students to stay home when they leave campus at the end of the week for spring break. This change to "remote" or "alternate modes of instruction" comes amid concerns over the new coronavirus, but no confirmed cases in the Pioneer Valley. Harvard University announced a similar decision on Tuesday. UMass Amherst is making no such move, according to Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, but is carefully monitoring the situation with university and health officials. "Campus decisions related to this rapidly evolving situation are made in this context and may differ in some cases from those other institutions, including Amherst College," he said.
- The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has published guidance for schools, including information on school closures related to COVID-19. If a school closes for reasons relating to the virus, administrators are asked to contact their local board of health, the Department of Public Health's 24/7 epidemiology line, and Associate Commissioner Helene Bettencourt. The Clarksburg School, Natick High School and Arlington's Stratton Elementary School were closed Monday after presumptive positive cases were identified in those towns.
- MGM Springfield — a top tourist destination in western Mass. — said it is monitoring CDC guidance and stepping up its cleaning. "We have enhanced our cleaning protocols that include placing additional hand sanitizer dispensing stations in high-traffic areas, reinforcing proactive cleaning and increasing the frequency of disinfectant procedures," the casino said in a statement.
- With the COVID-19 situation evolving, the head of the Connecticut Airport Authority, Kevin Dillon, said they have increased cleaning at Bradley Airport. The focus is on "high touch areas" — railings, seating areas, elevators. Dillion said officials at Bradley have plans in place to deal with passengers showing symptoms of the coronavirus. He said if there is an outbreak among airport employees, there is also a plan to keep the facility up and running.
- U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark said Monday that at least $11.65 million of the $8.3 billion emergency aid package signed by President Trump Friday to assist with response to the virus will go directly to Massachusetts communities on the "front lines" of addressing the virus. During an appearance in Boston on Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters she plans to seek additional legislation that would offer financial aid to workplaces whose supply chains or employees were impacted by COVID-19's spread.
NEPR's Karen Brown, Nancy Cohen, Adam Frenier, Carrie Healy and Sam Hudzik contributed to this report, which includes information from the State House News Service, VPR and WBUR.
