Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said It will take a definite decline in coronavirus cases in Boston to start lifting restrictions
Massachusetts reported 6,419 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday and an additional 99 deaths.
There have now been 12,563 confirmed deaths and 386,052 cases, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Another 273 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19.
The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, has slightly decreased to 8.25%, the department said.
The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 has decreased to 2,416. Of that number, 442 were listed as being in intensive care units and 273 are intubated, according to DPH.
Mayor Marty Walsh announced at a news conference Tuesday he is extending the length of a modified Phase 2, Step 2 he put in place in Boston last month amid a steady rise in coronavirus cases.
Walsh said the city's "pause" will last for at least three more weeks, through Jan. 27.
"We are getting to a point where it's getting very dangerous," Walsh said, pointing particularly to rising hospitalization numbers.
"If the numbers don't improve, we'll be forced to look at more restrictions," Walsh said Tuesday.
