Gov. Charlie Baker extends Massachusetts’ LOCKDOWN until May 18

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Gov. Charlie Baker extended Massachusetts’ stay-at-home advisory until May 18, two weeks later than the state was scheduled to open.

Non-essential business closures and the ban on gatherings above 10 people are also extended until May 18, Baker said.

“I know pushing these dates back a couple of weeks is not what many people want to hear,” Baker said on Tuesday, adding he too is frustrated. “We all look forward to stepping in front of this podium to tell you that we’re starting to open for business. I know we’ll get there soon, but we have to be smart on how we do it.”

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In the meantime, the state is starting a reopening advisory board led by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy.

The advisory board is expected to deliver a plan for reopening by May 18.

The Republican governor said that a phased reopening with input from companies, large and small, is key to a safe, effective return to normalcy.

“It’s also important that we begin formulating a plan for reopening our company on a phased basis,” Baker said on Tuesday.

For several days, Baker had held off on a decision on whether the state would reopen on May 4 despite the deadline drawing near, saying he had to see what the trend data suggested.

Baker said he will continue to monitor COVID-19 hospitalization rates and other data to make sure they can safely reopen. He said medical experts believe the business closures, stay-at-home advisories and other measures have helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

As of Monday, Massachusetts has recorded 56,462 coronavirus cases and 3,003 deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health.

An MGH simulator projects that reopening the state on May 25 would lead to more than 26,000 deaths by August 31. That simulator projects that the death toll would be much lower, close to 5,000, if the stay-at-home advisory were extended to Aug. 17 instead.

Baker suggested not to rely too much on models, noting that some of the projections were based on scenarios involving “minimal restrictions.”

“I don’t think anybody’s talking about the kind of opening that was proposed in that simulator,” Baker said when asked about the projections. “That’s not going to be the way this works.”

As the advisory group plans for reopening, Polito said the group will seek input from mom-and-pop shops, including women and minority-owned businesses. The group will include three public health officials, three local officials and several business and state leaders, including Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack.

“Think about how impactful social distancing is here in our commonwealth,” she said. “We are recognized as a leader in people taking personal responsibility for that, and this will be no different in terms of how we operate, how we conduct ourselves in a reopened community.”

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David S
David S
3 years ago

Baker is a Republican. A Massachusetts Republican and a R.I.N.O. to be sure but still a Republican.

livingengine
livingengine
3 years ago
Reply to  David S

“Charles Duane Baker, Jr., is an American businessman and politician serving as the 72nd governor of Massachusetts since January 8, 2015. A moderate Republican, he was a cabinet official under two governors of Massachusetts and served ten years as chief executive officer of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Baker

ed
ed
3 years ago
Reply to  livingengine

Duane ?? Thank you for that, livingengine. I will now call him Duane Baker (RINO-MA)…

TomSJr
TomSJr
3 years ago
Reply to  livingengine

MODERATE now means LIBERAL or COMPROMISER OF PRINCIPLES. Examples: PAUL RYAN, MITT ROMNEY, AND JOHN MCCAIN.

oceanfloor1
oceanfloor1
3 years ago

It’s not an “advisory” if they’re enforcing it. Not that we expected anything better here in Marxachusetts. The won’t allow more than 10 people at a time in a dollar-store and everyone has to wear masks. Every time I got out there are more businesses closed. And if he can wave the “if it saves ONE LIFE!!” banner on May 18 he’ll do it again. I’m retired and on SS already so this is mostly an inconvenience but I dread to think what is going on around me!

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  oceanfloor1

What a pity they don’t see abortion the same way.
Abortions are a CHOICE, but SUDDENLY, your life matters.
Just ONE LIFE, YOUR LIFE, matters to them.
LOL! It’s all about control and pushing their liberal ideology.

Underzog
Underzog
3 years ago

I didn’t vote for this jerk. I voted twice for his rival, Scott Lively. Do those idiots who voted for this neo commie in American clothing see now that I was right? Will they ever?

TomSJr
TomSJr
3 years ago
Reply to  Underzog

Nope. They are USEFUL IDIOTS LIVING OFF THE WELFARE STATE and most of them are probably ILLEGAL ALIENS.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago

The advisory board is expected to deliver a plan for reopening by May 18.

So the “plan” is expected to be coming.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they will open by 5/18/20.

As of Monday, Massachusetts has recorded
56,462 coronavirus cases and
3,003 deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health

Meaningless numbers! Any death with a patient having the virus, even though it may not be the cause of death is counted as a virus death. I wonder, how many people typically die on a daily basis from natural causes?

NJ Total infected: 113,856
NJ Total deaths: 6,442

NJ may not open up till July according to our brain dead Governor. We are supposed to stay inside avoid sunlight, fresh air and keep our sanity. LOL! We can’t wait till it is warmer and hit the beach!

Michael Goldman
Michael Goldman
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

You will get the last laugh., he will want to raise your property taxes(and other taxes) to make up for all the money lost, and nobody will be able to pay. He will have to declare bankruptcy.

ed
ed
3 years ago

We don’t call it Taxachusetts for nothing. Charlie Baker (RINO-MA) will put into effect per executive order if necessary a gas tax disguised as a green law. It is something we the people have voted down several times already.

Even state dem leaders are leery of it, and neighboring governors have said they will not TAX their citizens, a lot of whom have to drive to work or make their living driving.

Yet Charlie Baker (rhymes with FAKER) seems to think he knows better than the voters, and the price of gas is estimated to go up 18 cents the FIRST year alone, followed by annual increases. Any MA resident who is able will go to neighboring states to fill their tanks to avoid this catastrophic tax….

Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed Mohandjob
3 years ago
Reply to  ed

It isn’t simply Massachusetts. Look at what Left Wingnut Regressive, little mikki da-whiner, did to Nohio … Da-WHINER raised the tax on gasoline 10.5 cents, per gallon and diesel fuel an additional 19 cents per gallon. Of course, that was on top of already high taxes. Toss in local earning taxes, as high as 3.5% (from dollar one) and property taxes pushing 4% of assessed valuation …. Little mikki makes Massachusetts look like a Sunday regatta at the yacht club.

ed
ed
3 years ago

Sounds like we got a couple of da-winners in Baker and da-Whiner……

Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed Mohandjob
3 years ago
Reply to  ed

Hand ’em the silver cup.

Oh, forgot, a relatively high state tax. Federal, state, local earnings, highest property tax rates in the nation (most of Nohio ain’t bad … NE, that’s another story).

Sounds as if WE’RE the real da-winners. Woulda, shoulda, coulda, hadda, oughta have moved YEARS ago.

ed
ed
3 years ago

I don’t know, Ach…..between nation-wide fines, arrests, lockdowns……I just don’t know where to go anymore. Not too long ago, this USED to be the united States of America…..

Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed Mohandjob
3 years ago
Reply to  ed

When one is out of the country, the changes really become noticeable. For around a decade, I only made it back, to the U.S., three times. Each visit was less than three weeks. One of them it was only six days.

I was shocked. Although, I respected President Reagan, he was never considered a conservative. In 2001, he had become the most conservative person ever. Had history been re-written? No. It’s simply how left leaning conservatives had become. I was shocked. I seriously used to ask, where did the United States of America go?

I cannot imagine being gone for a decade and returning to this.

ed
ed
3 years ago

We don’t call it Taxachusetts for nothing. Charlie Baker (RINO-MA) will put into effect per executive order if necessary a gas tax disguised as a green law. It is something we the people have voted down several times already.

Even state dem leaders are leery of it, and neighboring governors have said they will not TAX their citizens, a lot of whom have to drive to work or make their living driving.

Yet Charlie Baker (rhymes with FAKER) seems to think he knows better than the voters, and the price of gas is estimated to go up 18 cents the FIRST year alone, followed by annual increases. Any MA resident who is able will go to neighboring states to fill their tanks to avoid this catastrophic tax….

TomSJr
TomSJr
3 years ago

Then the DemonRats in the House will bail ALL BLUE STATES OUT AND FURTHER BANKRUPT AMERICA for generations to come.

FIGHT BACK AMERICA! VOTE OUT ALL DEMONRATS FROM OFFICE OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR EVIL FOOLISH DECISIONS FOR YEARS TO COME!

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago

He even gave a rain tax. No kidding!

Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed Mohandjob
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

We have one here in NE Nohio …. started charging run-off fees, added to the water bills. Depending on the house’s size, footprint, .and concrete … varies from around 9 dollars per month to a little over 30.

Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed Mohandjob
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

It’s not simply that those, infected with Covid-19, are listed as death caused by. It’s those that were NOT even tested, in order to determine if they were infected, that have Covid-19 listed as cause of death.

This entire Chinese virus government mandated quarantine, of healthy people, and forced closure of businesses has been nothing but an evil hoax created by Left Wingnut Regressive Totalitarian Fascists.

deb
deb
3 years ago

Yup. They saw China shutting down, so that put initial fear in, so people went along with it, cause China did it. Feel good lock down. This is way out of control. I cannot wait for the day when people just come out in droves and say enough. I think it will happen soon.

Michael Goldman
Michael Goldman
3 years ago

This seems to be what most of the governors in the Northeast are doing. They are staying shut until Mid May, which will become June or July. NYC is shut until July or August. I was told NJ won’t open before July. Virginia could be closed for 2 years. Connecticut will probably be the same as NY and NJ. This is all being done to try and take down the President. All these places are going to need to raise property taxes to get money back. The President is not bailing them out. Then they will all want to close down in September if this starts again.

TomSJr
TomSJr
3 years ago

NOT IN OHIO. Most small businesses, restaurants, carryout, grocery chains, etc. ARE OPEN AND THRIVING! However, DeWine has cautioned us citizens to carry a mask with them JUST IN CASE A BUSINESS REQUIRES IT and that is okay with me. I have not worn a mask yet and have not been refused service ANYWHERE!

Michael Goldman
Michael Goldman
3 years ago
Reply to  TomSJr

The only places open near me are Supermarkets(which are making so much money it it insane) smaller food stores, pharmacies, restaurants(take out only), hardware stores, places you can pick up stuff. There are even restaurants that are closed. You have to wear a mask or face covering in every place you go into. I actually have a couple of friends doing very well on EBAY.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
3 years ago

I have often wondered about these East Coast liberals. How is it that the states composing the original thirteen colonies in the northeastern US, who fomented the rebellion against British oppression, are becoming photocopies of that against which the colonists fought?

TomSJr
TomSJr
3 years ago

SATAN can answer that one for you. Those people are his USEFUL IDIOTS.

Commissioner Gordon
Commissioner Gordon
3 years ago

Simply too many communist run colleges and universities pumping out scores of brain infected children voters which is very evident in “college towns”. Unfortunately over the years they failed to move away and we are left with this hellhole. Tried to get out until the RE market tanked.

ed
ed
3 years ago

Never Trumper Gov. Charlie Baker (RINO-MA) is in the middle of a scandal-ridden second term. He has been completely ineffective as governor, yet was somehow polled/voted as America’s most popular governor. The nitwit might be popular, but he is NOT effective and is a puppet to the MA democRAT party leaders.

He teamed up with New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft to bring N-95 masks to the state from China, this after several countries had already been in the news for RETURNING faulty masks to China. It was no surprise to learn that most of the masks he worked hard to get—instead of requesting help from POTUS Trump, who Baker hates–WERE defective. In his mind, to spite Trump he would come out on top. He did NOT.

The only way Charlie Baker (rhymes with FAKER) wins a 3rd term as governor is to run as a democRAT, which he has shown by his actions that he truly is.

Dave
Dave
3 years ago
Reply to  ed

Vote out the Faker Baker

Political_qrm
Political_qrm
3 years ago

Yes, and that shutdown in Mass is affecting our re-opening in NH. If we re-open, they’ll come streaming over the border to NH..

TomSJr
TomSJr
3 years ago

A WHOLE LOT of businesses here in NE OHIO are now open! The Police don’t do this sort of thing here. And, if they did, THEY WOULD BE WOEFULLY SORRY THEY DID, since this is a SMART AND INTELLIGENT state with CCW citizens.

Jeanne Ballard
Jeanne Ballard
3 years ago

Hell , lock the state down till 2030 for all I care

Sgtsnuffy
Sgtsnuffy
3 years ago

HEY GUV !!!! WHY NOT EXTEND THE LOCK DOWN TILL DECEMBER 24TH THEN YOU CAN FREE EVERYONE AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

D A
D A
3 years ago

And the so called “law enforcement Officers” …so called “police” will happily arrest, harass, beat up and/or fine ANYONE ( but muslims and released felons) who doesn’t follow these Unconstitutional orders.

This country is lost.

Roland
Roland
3 years ago

Why do they need an advisory board to figure out how to re-open? I will save you a lot of money and tel you to just get the hell out of the way and let us get back to work. There, fixed it for you! You idiots have done enough damage already. Go back to your regular positions of figuring out how to piss away the tax money you steal from us.

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