Gov. Charlie Baker extends Massachusetts COVID-19 restrictions and gathering capacity limits. These restrictions do not apply to K-12 schools.
Massachusetts set another new single-day coronavirus case record on Thursday when health officials reported 7,136 confirmed cases.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also reported 71 new confirmed coronavirus deaths.
There have now been a total of 12,634 deaths and 393,188 cases, according to DPH.
The state has reported more coronavirus cases in two prior reports, but both were delayed by holidays and included data from two separate days.
The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, has decreased to 7.83 %, the department said.
The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 has decreased to 2,386. Of that number, 455 were listed as being in intensive care units and 277 are intubated, according to DPH.
Amid the surge of cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Charlie Baker announced earlier in the day he is extending coronavirus restrictions around gatherings and businesses in the state through Jan. 24.
"Cases are growing and hospitalizations continue to climb," Baker said. "That puts a lot of pressure on our health care system and our hospitals."
Restaurants, movie theaters, performance venues, casinos, offices, places of worship, retail businesses, fitness centers, health clubs, libraries, golf facilities, driving and flight schools, arcades, museums, and "sectors not otherwise addressed" are required to limit their customer capacity to a maximum of 25%, Baker said.
All indoor gatherings and events are limited to 10 people, while all outdoor gatherings and events will be limited to 25 people.
