Gov. Baker: No shelter in place order planned for coronavirus response

Gov.

Charlie Baker emphasized that no shelter in place order is being considered before announcing down payment of $5 million in emergency funds for local boards of health and announcing orders to get more health care workers into hospitals.

CHALLENGING TIMES.IT’S UNDERSTATEMENT THAT WEARE IN UNCHARTED WATERS.WE NOTE EXTRAORDINARY STEPS HAVEBEEN TAK AND THE IMPACT WE AREPLACING AND CONTINUE TO PLACE ONMANY OF OUR CITIZENS WE AREHUMBLED BY THE DAI CREATIVITYAND RESILIENCY THAT WE SEE FROMTHE PEOPLE OF THIS REMARKABLESTATE AND OUR ADMIRATION FOR THEPAST TWO WEEKS AND ONLY GROWN.WE ARE LIKELY TO HAVE TOUGH DAYAHEAD OF US.WE CONTINUE TO HAVE GREA FAITHAND CONFIDENCE THAT WE WILL GETTHROUGH THIS BY PULLINGTOGETHER, CARING FOR ONE ANOTHERAND DOING WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OURNEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITIESBECAUSE THAT IS WHO WE ARE.WE’VE TAKEN UNPRECEDENTED ANDSTRONG ACTION AND WANT TOADDRESS THE ONGOING RUMORS ABOUTA POSSIBLE ORDER TO SHELTER INPLACE.I SPOKE ABOUT THIS BEFORE.LET ME BE CLEAR.WE ARE N PLANNING ANY SHELTERIN PLACE ORDERS.IN TIMES OF CRISIS, IT’SIMPERATIVE THAT EVERYONE GETTHEIR NEWS FROM LEGITIMATEPLACES AND SOMETIMES THAT IS NOTFROM YOUR FRIENDS FRIENDSFRIENDS FRIENDS NEIGHBOR.WE’RE CITIZENS TO BOOKMARK MASDOT.GOV/COVID-19 AND REGULARLYCHECK THERE FOR ANY AND ALLUPDATES.KEEP IN MIND AGAIN THAT FOR THEVAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE COMEAPPROXIMATELY 80% OF THEPOPULATION, COVID-19 WOULDMOSTLY FEEL LIKE THE FLU.THE INFECTION WOULD NOT LEAD TOHOSPITALIZATION.YOUR BODY FIGHTS THE INFECTIONAND HE RECOVER.THE REASON WE ARE TAKING THIS SOSERIOUSLY IS BECAUSE IT ISINCREDIBLY CONTAGIOUS.IT’S A LOT MORE CONTAGIOUS THANTHE REGULAR FLU.THERE WILL BE MORE CASES OFCOVID-19 HERE IN MASSACHUSETTSBUT WE ALSO KNOW IF WE TAKEDECISIVE STEPS NOW AND EVERYONEPLAYS THEIR PART BY FOLLOWINGTHE BEST MEDICAL GUIDANCE, WECAN SLOW DOWN THE SPREAD AND HERHEALTH CARE SYSTEM WILL BEBETTER POSITIONED TO CARE FORTHE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED IT.WITH THAT SAID TODAY WE AREANNOUNCING SEVERAL NEW ELEMENTSAND INITIATIVES.FIRST OF ALL OUR ADMINISTRATIONTHROUGH THE COMMAND CENTER WILLBE DISTRIBUTING A DOWN PAYMENTOF $5 MILLION IN EMERGENCY FUNDSLOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH ACROSSTHE COMMONWEALTH.THAT MONEY WILL GO OUT TODAY ANDMORE WIL FOLLOW.I SIGNED THIS APPROPRIATION INTOLAW AFTER IT WAS ALLOTTED BY THELEGISLATURE AT THE END OF LASTWEEK TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATENEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHBOARDS IN ADDRESSING COVID-19.MOST OF THIS MONEY WILL GODIRECTLY TO CITIES AND TOWNS TOHELP THEM RESPOND TO THIS PUBLICHEALTH EMERGENCY.WE ALSO PLAN TO EXECUTEEMERGENCY CONTRACTS WITH CITIESAND HEALTH DISTRICTS THAT HAVESUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO RECEIVEAND UTILIZE FUNDING AND WILLCONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THISPROCESS QUICKLY.OUR LARGEST MUNICIPALITIES WHICHHAVE OVER 70,000 RESIDENTS AREMORE AND PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICTSWILL RECEIVE CONTRACTS TODAY.OTHER LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTHWILL RECEIVE MORE INFORMATIONFROM DPH AND IN ADDITION TOPROVIDING FUNDING FORMUNICIPALITIES WE ARE EXTENDINGOUR REACH TO OFFER SUPPORT WHERENEEDED TO CITIES AND TOWNS.WE ALSO SIGNED TWO EMERGENCYORDERS AND THE QUESTIONER PUBLICHEALTH HAS ISSUED TO ORDERS ASWELL TO EXPEDITE THE ONBOARDINGOF MORE LICENSED HEALTH CAREPROFESSIONALS.THESE ORDERS WILL MAKE IT EASIERFOR LICENSED HEALTH CARE STAFFINCLUDING REGISTERED NURSESLICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES ANDRESPIRATORY TECHNICIANS TO WORKAT ANOTHER LICENSED FACILITY.THESE ORDERS WILL CUT RED TAPESO HOSPITALS CAN STAFF UPFASTER.THIS WILL AL ALLOWOUT-OF-STATE LICENSE PHYSICIANSIN GOOD STANDING TO PRACTICE INMASSACHUSETTS AND ENABLE RETIREDPHYSICIANS IN GO STANDING TOREACTIVATE THEIR LICENSE.AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT HELPING TOEXPAND OUR HEALTH CARE DELIVERYCAPACITY.RECOGNIZING THE CRUCIAL NEED FORSUFFICIENT EMS CAPACITY DURINGTHIS PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY,THESE ORDERS ARE JUST IN A HIMSTANDARDS FOR AMBULANCE STAFFINGTO ENSURE SUFFICIENTAVAILABILITY AND CAPACITY OF EMSSERVICES.THESE ORDERS WILL FACILITATTELEHEALTH ACROSS STATE LINES.THIS BUILDS OFF THE EMERGENCYORDER WE ISSUED O SUNDAY FORALL COMMERCIAL HEALTH INSURANCECARRIERS TO ALLOW PROVIDERS TOPROVIDE SERVICES THROUGHTELEHEALTH.WHAT THIS MEANS IS BY WORKINGWITH THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERPATIENTS CAN TALK TO THEIRDOCTORS THROUGH VIDEO OR PHONESO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO VISIT ADOCTOR’S OFFICE.THE SIGNIFICANT MEASURES WE HAVETAKEN IN THE PAST FEW DAYS WILLHELP MITIGATE THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19.BUT THERE’S NO DENYING THISCAUSES MAJOR DISRUPTION FORECONOMIC SECTOR AND ESPECIALLYTHE COMMONWEALTH SMALL BUSINESSCOMMUNITY.YESTERDAY WE ANNOUNCED ECONOMICSUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSESWITH A $10 MILLION LOAN FUND TOPROVIDE FINANCIAL RELIEF IT’SCRUCIAL WE BRING EVERY RESOURCETO BEAR TO ADDRESS THE BIG --THE ECONOMIC DISRUPTION.I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE FAT IT ISTALKING EARLIER TODAY ABOUT AMAJOR RECOVERY PACKAGE.NEMA TOOK THE FIRST STEP IN THEPROCESS FOR SECURING RELIEF FROMTHE FEDERAL SMALL BUSINESSADMINISTRATION CONDUCTING ASURVEY TO IDENTIFY BUSINESSESAFFECTED BY THE COVID-19OUTBREAK.TODAY, I AM FORMALLY REQUESTINGTHAT THE SMALL BUSINESSADMINISTRATION ISSUE ADECLARATION OF ECONOMIC INJURYFOR THE COMMONWEALTH.THIS DECADAL -- THIS DECLARATIONWOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR LOWINTEREST LOANS TO BE MADEAVAILABLE TO BUSINESS OWNERSAFFECTED BY THE OUTBREAK.EVERYBODY KNOWS THE ECONOMICDISRUPTION IS REAL.WE ARE COMMITTED TO PURSUING AVARIETY OF DECISIONS TO MITIGATETHESE EFFECTS.IT’S MY HOPE AND EXPECTATIONTHAT THE STATE AND FEDERALGOVERNMENT WILL HAVE MORE TO SAYABOUT THIS EFFORT AS TIME GOESON SO THAT WE CAN HELP AS MANYPEOPLE AS POSSIBLE RECOVER FROMTHE WIDESPREAD IMPACTS OF THISDISEASE.AS A REMINDER, WE’VE TAKEN THEFOLLOWING STEPS OVER THE PASTCOUPLE OF DAYS.WE ARE RELAXING SOME OF THEREQUIREMENTS AROUND CURRENTUNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS THIS WILLALLOW MANY WORKERS AFFECTED BYCLOSURES TO GET SOME FINANCIALRELIEF.WE FILED EMERGENCY LEGISLATIONWITH THE LEGISLATURE THAT WILLALLOWED CLAIMS TO BE PAID MOREQUICKLY BY WAIVING THE ONE WEEKWAITING PERIOD FOR UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS AD WE MET WITH THELEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP YESTERDAYTO DISCUSS THIS AND SEVERALOTHER SHORT-TERM ISSUES.I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITHTHEM TO GET THESE MEASURES PASTAS POSSIBLE.SUNDAY WE ALSO INSTRUCTED ALLNONEMERGENCY STATE EMPLOYEESFROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH NOT TOREPORT TO WORK YESTERDAY ANDTODAY UNLESS THEY WERE ESSENTIALTO THE STATES COVID-19 RESPONSEEFFORTS.OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS WE’VE HADPRODUCTIVE TALKS WITH THE UNIONSAND LEADERSHIP ACROSS OURAGENCIES AND LATER TODAY WE WILLBE ROLLING OUT UPDATEDINFORMATION AND GUIDANCE FOREXECUTIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEESAROUND TELEWORK AND WHAT THEYSHOULD EXPECT GOING FORWARD.I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OFEFFORT AND COMMITMENT ANDCOOPERATION THAT SO MANY PEOPLEPUT IN ON THIS ONE OVER THE PAST48 HOURS.I THINK AS MANY PEOPLE KNOWEFFECTIVE TODAY BARS ANDRESTAURANTS IN MASSACHUSETTSTHAT OFFER FOOD AND DRINK SHOWNNOT OFFER ON PREMISESCONSUMPTION.THESE ESTABLISHMENTS MAYCONTINUE TO OFFER FOOD FORTAKEOUT AND DELIVERY.THIS AUDIT -- THIS ORDER IS INEFFECT FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THISORDER DOES NOT APPLY TO GROCERYSTORES, RETAIL OUTLETS ORPHARMACIES.THIS IS ABOUT BARS ANDRESTAURANTS AND THOSE PLACESTHAT PEOPLE DO NOT ABSOLUTELYHAVE TO GO TO.MANY FOLKS HAVE NOTICED GROCERYSTORE SHELVES SEEM BEAR.PEOPLE ARE PERHAPS GOING ALITTLE OVERBOARD TO STOCK UP ONSUPPLIES.PLEASE USE COMMON SENSE ANDMODERATION A AVOID HOARDINGLARGE QUANTITIES.THE SHELVES ARE GETTINGRESTOCKED PRETTY MUCH EVERYNIGHT.AND FOR RESPONSIBLE PLANNINGADVICE, YOU CAN VISIT MASSDOT.GOV/NO PLAN AND PREPARE.I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FORTHEIR PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCEDURING THESE UNPRECEDENTED AOCCULT TIMES ARE YOURCOOPERATION AND DILIGENCE AREVITAL TO KEEPING YOU, YOURFAMILY, NEIGHBORS AND OURCOMMUNITY SAFE AND I’M CONFIDENTWE WILL GET THROUGH THISTOGETHER.I WOULD ALS LIKE TO ASKEVERYONE TO REMEMBER THE MOSTVULNERABLE AMONG US AND ASK THATYOU REACH OUT AND HELP IF YOUCAN.I KNOW THERE ARE PROGRAMS BEINGPUT UP IN COMMUNITIES ALL OVERTHE COMMONWEALTH WHICH COMES ASNO SURPRISE TO ANY OF US ITHINK.CALL YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOURFRIEND FAMILIES.A CHECK AND CAN GO A LO