BOSTON (AP) - The last patients have been discharged from Boston Hope, the field hospital set up inside the city’s convention and center to help hospitals cope with the influx of COVID-19 patients, Mayor Marty Walsh said Thursday.
Walsh said the temporary hospital “suspended operation pending future need.”
Walsh also said the city has met a benchmark of being able to conduct 1,500 coronavirus tests a day, but he cautioned against letting up on precautions like social distancing and wearing masks.
“Your precautions to limit the spread of the virus are extremely important,” he said at a press conference outside Boston City Hall. “The virus has not gone away.”
Walsh said he understands the need to protest the death of George Floyd, the black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck. But the mayor said he has “grave concerns” that crowded gatherings could spark an uptick in COVID-19 cases, particularly among younger people who could contract the virus and take it home to more vulnerable, older relatives.
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VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS
Massachusetts officials on Thursday reported that the total number of confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts topped 102,000 with the addition of 471 newly reported cases.
There were 50 new deaths reported Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic to 7,201.
Other numbers released Wednesday indicated continued progress against the virus in Massachusetts.
There were about 1,600 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down from about 2,400 two weeks ago. The number of people in intensive care units ticked up slightly to 401 compared to Wednesday, but was still down from 647 two weeks ago.
The number of probable and confirmed COVID-19 deaths at long-term care homes rose to 4,479, or about 62% of all deaths.
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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
More than 27,000 people filed initial claims for standard unemployment benefits in Massachusetts from May 24 to May 30.
That’s a decrease of about 10,600 over the previous week. Since March 15, more than 924,000 initial claims have been filed for standard unemployment benefits.
Initial claims for a separate program - pandemic unemployment assistance - also saw a steep decline.
More than 54,000 people filed initial claims for the assistance for the week ending May 30 — about 93,000 fewer than those who filed initial claims the prior week.
Since April 20, more than 573,000 individuals have filed claims for the pandemic insurance.
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PRISONS TESTING
The Massachusetts Department of Correction said Thursday it has met its goal of conducting universal COVID-19 testing at all 16 of its facilities.
As of Wednesday, more than 7,600 COVID-19 tests have been performed for DOC inmates, department officials said in a press release.
There are about 7,200 people in DOC custody. Some have been tested more than once.
To date, 390 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 339 have recovered and about 50 have an active diagnosis. A handful of test results are pending.
Of the 16 facilities operated by DOC, 11 have had three or fewer positives cases. Seven have had no cases.
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OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES
Massachusetts residents itching to get outdoors now have more options, as the Trustees of Reservations reopens 14 more of its properties Thursday.
Among those reopening are Ravenswood Park in Gloucester; Monument Mountain in Great Barrington; and Greenwood Farm in Ipswich, the nonprofit land conservation organization said in a statement.
“Additional rangers are being hired to monitor and prevent overcrowding at some sites, and several properties will now have parking fees for non-members to help us offset this cost of additional staffing,” the organization said.
The nonprofit closed its properties to the public in late March in response to the pandemic. Most have since reopened.
Visitors are asked to practice social distancing, and wear face coverings. Bathrooms remain closed.
The organization oversees 119 properties encompassing 25,000 acres.
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SHAKESPEARE DRIVE-IN
Shakespeare & Company, which has canceled its summer performance schedule because of the pandemic, wants to open a drive-in movie theater on its property.
The prestigious theater company in Lenox has applied to the town for a variance or special permit to open a drive-in theater for 42 cars, The Berkshire Eagle reports.
A hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for June 17.
Berkshire County’s last drive-in theater, located in North Adams, closed in 1994, the newspaper reported.
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