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THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCING THAT VAN JUST HOURS AGO. HE IS NOW SAYING THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS. WE JUST ISSUE GUIDANCE THAT WILL PROHIBIT GATHERINGS OF OVER. 50 PEOPLE I THE COMMONWEALTH EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AN EMERGENCY ORDER FROM GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER BANNING GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE TO TRY TO STOP THE SPREA OF THE CORONA VIRUS PART OF WHAT THE OBJECTIVE IS HERE. IS TWOFOLD IS NUMBER ONE TO TRY TO LIMIT THE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF CASES BECAUSE IT IS VERY CONTAGIOUS THE BAN APPLIES TO COMMUNITY CIVIC PUBLIC AND LEISURE GATHERINGS FAITH BASED EVENTS SPORTING EVENTS CONCERTS CONVENTIONS AND PARADE. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO AIRPORT TRAIN STATIONS MEDICAL LT’S MALLS GROCERY STORES RESTAURANTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDINGS. THE GOVERNOR SAYS PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE NOT CALLING FOR A STATEWIDE SHUTDOWN OF SCHOOLS RECOMMENDATION. I’M GETTING FROM THE FOLKS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS THA THAT WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OR THE KIDS OR THE SCHOOLS FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH POINT OF VIEW STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE RECEIVED FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR TO COMMERCIAL LABS TO BEGIN TESTING THE GOVERNOR SAYING HE COULD NOT APPROVE THEM ALONE AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT T WAIT FOR THE FDA TO DO IT. THIS STUFF I’VE MADE PRETTY CLEAR. I DON’T THINK THE FEDS ARE MOVING QUICKLY ENOUGH, BUT THE IDEA THAT I WOULD PUT OUR ENTIRE TESTING REGIMEN OR OUR HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM AT RISK B LITERALLY VIOLATING FEDERAL LAW. I’M NOT GOING THERE. AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY SAYING RIGHT NOW THEY CAN DO 200 TESTS A DAY AT THE STATE LAB WITH THE HELP OF AUTOMATION THAT NUMBERED SHE SAYS WILL SOON DOUBLE TO 400 BUT SHE DECLINED TO SAY HOW MANY TESTS HAVE BEEN DONE SO FAR ADDING SHALL RELEASE THOSE NUMBERS ONLINE SOMETIME WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. WE ARE LIVE HER

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Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday announced a ban on all gatherings of 250 people or more in the state to combat the spread of COVID-19. "The highly contagious nature of this disease means that if everyone plays their part in slowing the spread down, and the number of people who become infected and require medical attention doesn't spike all at once, which perhaps would overwhelm our systems," Baker said. The order includes, but is not limited to: community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, festivals and any similar event or activity that brings together 250 or more persons in a single room or single space at the same time in a venue such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theatre or any other confined indoor or outdoor space. Baker said the order does not apply to normal operations at airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, libraries, shopping malls and centers, polling locations, grocery or retail stores, or other spaces where 250 or more persons may be in transit.The order also does not apply to restaurants, "provided that they should, when possible, encourage social distancing," or typical office environments, government buildings or factories where large numbers of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within arm’s length of one another.Baker said the order does not apply to higher education or K-12 schools when classes are in session; provided, that assemblies or classes of more than 250 people are prohibited.Baker said he was not making a blanket declaration about schools in the state, rather allowing each district to make the determination for themselves."Everyone has a role to play in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, and by limiting large gatherings, we can further mitigate the spread of the disease," Baker said. "It is important to take these steps now to further protect the residents of the Commonwealth, and we will continue to encourage residents to maintain social distancing, and practice healthy personal hygiene to stop the spread of the virus."The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Thursday there were 13 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 108 presumptive and confirmed cases across Massachusetts. Of all the cases across the Commonwealth, 10 patients had to be hospitalized, while 89 of the patients did not need any hospitalization.The state health statistics indicate eight of the cases were related to Berkshire Medical Center, 82 of the cases connected to a Biogen Conference held in Boston, five were travel related and 13 cases where the origin was still under investigation. Baker said Thursday that increasing number of cases is related to the increased amount of tests being conducted. The rate of testing will continue to accelerate, he said.Baker said his administration has been in touch with the state's Congressional delegation and the Trump administration about securing approvals for additional testing sites, including hospitals and private labs.The Massachusetts House and Senate on Thursday approved a $15 million supplemental budget to help the state respond to the rise of COVID-19 cases.Baker, who declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts on Tuesday, welcomed the extra funding.All federal jury trials in Massachusetts scheduled to begin before April 27 have been postponed until further notice "in order to protect public health."According to the State Department of Health's third weekly report about quarantine numbers, which was posted Wednesday, 445 people in Massachusetts are undergoing the two-week-long process. Another 638 individuals had completed that process and are no longer in quarantine.PHNjcmlwdCBpZD0iaW5mb2dyYW1fMF85MTUyMTg3My03NmRhLTQ0ZmUtOTA0Ny1mMTllZWFlZGFjNmQiIHRpdGxlPSJDb3JvbmF2aXJ1cyBpbiBNYXNzYWNodXNldHRzIiBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZS5pbmZvZ3JhbS5jb20vanMvZGlzdC9lbWJlZC5qcz9yeXoiIHR5cGU9InRleHQvamF2YXNjcmlwdCI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+Cg==