4/16/2020 Press Conference on COVID-19 Updates

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On April 16th, Governor Baker gave a press conference to provide COVID-19 updates on the COVID-19 Community Tracing Program, Testing, PPE, Hospital Capacity, Unemployment Benefits, Mobile-testing, and the Command Center.

Here is the summary.

COVID-19 Community Tracing Program

  • The program has hired 176 employees to conduct contact tracing through phone calls and hundreds of additional people are being trained and onboarded in the coming weeks.

  • If you receive a call from the program, please provide the relevant information as it is key in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Testing

  • As of yesterday, MA conducted a total of 131,023 tests, including the 5,472 tests that were conducted yesterday alone. 

PPE

  • The Command Center has distributed over 3.8 million pieces of PPE so far.

    • This includes over 2.2 million gloves, over 850,000 masks, over 370,000 masks from the aircraft delivery, over 180,000 gowns, and 380 ventilators. 

  • Yesterday, the state announced that FEMA will be sending us nearly 1 million pieces of PPE including masks and suits. 

    • The shipment is in route and will be arriving shortly. 

  • A daily summary of PPE distribution is available at mass.gov/covid19.

Hospital Capacity

  •  As of the end of the day on Tuesday, April 14th, there are now a total of about 17,800 beds statewide.

    • Just under half of the beds are currently occupied. 

  • Field hospitals that are currently in place are at the Boston Convention Center, the DCU Center in Worcester and the three that are coming in soon will be on the Cape, Dartmouth in the South Coast, and in Lowell in the Merrimack Valley. 

    • Currently, the number of patients in the two open sites is relatively low.

Unemployment Benefits

  • New Federal data reported that over 570,000 MA residents have applied for unemployment since March 15th.

  • As of today, the Department of Unemployment Assistance is paying unemployment compensation to over 315,000 MA residents.

  • This weekend, DUA launched a Spanish language online application form. More language forms will be launched shortly. 

  • As of last week, claimants are now receiving the extra $600 on top of their existing benefits with the implementation of the new Federal CARES Act. 

Mobile-Testing

  • The mobile-testing program has now tested at 279 facilities with 5,883 tests so far.

  • Today, the National Guard is now visiting another 11 facilities and will complete 1,349 tests. 

  • They have added mobile-testing at state-operated large congregated care centers such as two public health hospitals, one large departmental health hospital, and two departmental disability centers. 

Command Center

  • The Command Center has established a ventilator working group that will utilize the daily reporting from hospitals to understand the needs and make fair recommendations on ventilator allocation. 

  • Today, an additional 57 ventilators are being allocated to 13 more hospitals.