As coronavirus travel restrictions are starting to ease, more vacation plans are starting to take shape. Experts offered some tips on how to limit risk while traveling.
Massachusetts reported 28 more coronavirus deaths on Saturday and 286 more cases of the virus.
Saturday's COVID-19 report from the Department of Public Health's put the state's death toll at 7,828; the number of positive tests stands at 106,936.
Also on Saturday, the United States surpassed 120,000 coronavirus deaths nationwide, according to NBC News' count.
The daily increase in COVID-19 deaths and cases in Massachusetts is dramatically lower than what the state was reporting two months ago, at the height of the local coronavirus surge.
On Wednesday, the population of coronavirus-positive patients in Massachusetts hospitals dropped below 1,000 people for the first time since the surge.
The six indicators informing how fast Massachusetts can move through the four phases of reopening the state are: the COVID-19 positive test rate, the number of individuals who died from COVID-19, the number of patients with COVID-19 in hospitals, the health care system's readiness, testing capacity, contact tracing capabilities. Their statuses have held steady, with half in a positive trend and half "in progress" since June 5.
The second step of Phase 2 of the state's 4-phased reopening plan will go into effect on Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Friday. It allows indoor dining to begin, increases capacity at offices from 25% to 50% and allows retailers to open fitting rooms, though by appointment only.
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For months, Massachusetts has been one of the epicenters of COVID-19 in the U.S. It has the fifth-most cases among all states and the third-most deaths, but the state is now in Phase 2 of its reopening plan, which sees many businesses able to reopen their doors, though with restrictions.
Baker and other health officials have said Massachusetts' high tallies may be due to the state testing among the most residents per capita in the country.
