Walsh: Shutdown will extend beyond May 4

Governor says he’s waiting for infection rates to plateau

Mayor Walsh said Monday that Boston will not reopen non-essential businesses on May 4. Massachusetts’ stay-at-home orders were originally set to end at this date, but Walsh said he’d have “serious concerns” if safety measures, both in Boston and statewide, were relaxed.

“There’s no question that May 4 is too early,” said Walsh in his April 27 briefing, noting that Boston is still in the peak of COVID-19 infections. He later added, “We should never put ourselves in a position where we move too quickly and undo the progress that’s been made.” 

Walsh said that his administration is working on a recovery framework for the city. It includes public health interventions that will minimize COVID-19’s spread until a treatment is ready. He said that the framework needs to adapt as quickly as the virus changes.

Gov. Charlie Baker did not confirm a stay-at-home order extension. He said that information will be coming out later this week regarding the decision to reopen on May 4.

“We are continuing to see what I would call a plateau with respect to our hospitalization rates,” he said, but added that trend data remains high.

Walsh also announced an antibody testing initiative for 1,000 randomly selected residents across East Boston, Roslindale and two zip code areas in Dorchester. Antibody testing examines proteins within the blood to reveal past exposure to COVID-19. It shows how many people have already recovered from the virus. 

“This information will help us contain the virus more effectively and help us chart out a path to recovery,” said Walsh. He said the information is useful for long-term recovery plans: It shows how far the virus has spread. Antibody testing also helps the administration target the most vulnerable areas and allocate resources, said Walsh. He plans to expand the initiative in the coming weeks.

Baker said that the Boston initiative will yield useful information. However, he warned against antibody tests with false positives.

“There are antibody tests going on that are not FDA-approved, in sites all over the country,” he said. “The false results of those tests range from 5 to 35%.”

He called COVID-19 an “invisible enemy” that epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists are still struggling to understand. Therefore, it is still unclear whether previous exposure to COVID-19 makes someone immune.

Baker said the FDA needs to first approve tests and ensure whether they’re effective and accurate. It is critically important for the FDA to assume a “bigger and broader role than the one it’s been delivering on so far,” he said.

Until there’s more guidance from the federal government, said Baker, “I worry a lot that people are going to draw conclusions from some of these tests that A) may not be accurate and B) may not be appropriate conclusions to draw from them.”

Baker advocated for “ramping up” traditional testing. Many residents that get the disease — perhaps up to 40% — are asymptomatic, he said. He emphasized the importance of diagnosing these residents before prioritizing antibody tests.

Walsh noted that traditional testing in Boston increased over 30% last week. There are now 15 testing sites across the city, and universal testing is available for all homeless residents.

Over 55,000 people nationwide have died from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Baker said that deaths in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Michigan represent more than half of that total. As of Sunday, Massachusetts had 54,938 confirmed cases and 2,899 deaths. Boston had 8,159 cases and 302 deaths.

Regarding hospital capacity, Baker said that 56% of beds remain available for patients across the state. He also added that 6.5 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been delivered to hospitals, health care workers and first responders.

Nursing homes are a major hotspot for the disease, and elders are especially vulnerable. Baker said that 10,031 residents and staff working in long-term care facilities have tested positive for COVID-19 in about 300 facilities. These facilities represent about 56% of the total deaths in Massachusetts.

“The numbers are tough to comprehend,” said Baker. “But they illustrate the lethal grip COVID-19 can have on seniors and especially on those with underlying health conditions.”

The Baker administration has implemented certain policies to reduce transmission in these facilities. Baker already imposed strict restrictions with respect to nursing home visitors and screening guidelines for staff. The mobile testing unit, launched April 7, has also conducted over 18,300 tests at more than 400 facilities across the commonwealth. Staffing shortages have also been addressed, he said, and facilities are matched with available workers through the Long-Term Care Facility Staffing Team.

On Monday, Baker announced an additional $130 million for nursing homes. The funds will be available May 1 and will go to nursing homes that are adhering to the state’s health guidelines. He also said that additional assistance will be available to address any remaining staffing shortages. This includes clinical response teams, certified nursing assistants and crisis management support.

“Nursing homes have a pressing obligation to provide the best care they can for many of our most vulnerable and fragile residents,” he said.

Marylou Sudders, secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, also announced $44 million in funding for residential service providers.

Behind the barrage of numbers are individual human stories.

Walsh shared a story of an elderly South End resident who was hospitalized over the weekend. The man asked his doctor and social worker if he could marry his long-time partner while hospitalized. He proposed in the hospital bed, got the marriage license Thursday and was able to spend a couple of days with his partner before passing away Saturday.

“There are countless numbers of stories like this,” said Walsh. “Stories of love, loss and goodbyes. As we continue to fight this pandemic, we also need to take time to reflect on those who we’ve lost … and we need to remember, every day, how precious life is.”