Citing the rapid increase in cases, Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts on March 10.[108][109] During a press conference on March 14, 2020, Governor Baker established an emergency command center and promised to expand statewide lab testing.[110]
On March 15, Governor Baker banned all public gatherings of over 25 people, closed all K–12 public schools from March 17 through April 7, and banned on-site service at bars and restaurants for the same period.[111] On March 25, Baker ordered all schools and non-emergency childcare services to be closed through May 4, extending the original closure by three weeks.[112] On April 21, Baker announced that schools would not reopen for the remainder of the school year, and extended the order to close non-emergency childcare services through June 29.[93]
On March 23, Governor Baker announced a stay-at-home advisory to be effective from March 24 until April 7. On March 31, the advisory was extended to May 4.[71] On April 28, this advisory was further extended to May 18.[97]
Starting March 31, hotels, motels and online rentals like Airbnb were ordered to close to recreational travelers so they could be used to house essential workers and displaced residents.[113] The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is being prepared as a 1,000-bed field hospital for COVID-19 patients, including 500 beds for infected homeless patients.[114] The DCU Center in Worcester was set up as a field hospital for recovering COVID-19 patients, overseen by UMass Memorial Medical Center.[115]
On March 27, Governor Baker asked travelers from out of state to avoid Massachusetts or to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days. Electronic highway signs were activated, and travelers arriving at Logan International Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, and South Station were given flyers.[116] Medical students were graduated early, and emergency orders were issued giving some nurses with more than two years of experience authority to write prescriptions, and granting incoming medical residents and interns 90-day medical licenses.[116]
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles moved to an appointment-only system to avoid overcrowding, and the state extended deadlines for many renewals by 60 days to reduce the need for in-person transactions. With visits down about 90%, eight of the 30 RMV branches closed completely. The National Association of Government Employees, representing customer service employees at the RMV, asked that the remaining offices be closed for worker safety, but the Secretary of Transportation said essential workers needed the RMV to continue operating.[117]
Sign on a gate of a playground, advising that the playground is closed until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic, and instructing users to wash their hands, avoid touching their face, clean things that are frequently touched, cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing, stay home if they're sick, and think ahead about how to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
Closed playground in Boston
When people in parks were found to not be following social distancing, many parks and playgrounds were closed. Some cities removed or blocked off basketball hoops and other amenities to discourage people from gathering.[118] Beaches and their parking lots were also ordered to close.[119] On April 5, Boston's Mayor Walsh issued a stay-at-home advisory for the city of Boston. All non-essential workers were asked to stay home from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., starting April 6. All baseball, tennis, and hockey fields in parks were ordered to be closed. Residents were instructed not to visit family or fields outside of their households. The restrictions are enforceable by fines.[84]
On April 5, Boston's Mayor Walsh encouraged, but did not require, people to wear masks when outside the home. He asked that people leave medical masks for essential workers and make their own if necessary.[84] On April 27, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced that, beginning on April 29, people would be required to cover their faces when in any public space. Somerville officials said that, while the order would be enforceable with $300 fines after a one-week grace period elapsed, they would be focusing on educating people and distributing masks where possible to vulnerable people, reserving fines for those "showing willful disregard" for the order.[120][121] On May 1, Governor Baker issued an order, effective May 6, to require people to cover their faces in public when in situations where they are unable to keep six feet away from others.[99]
