BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — On Thursday, President Trump outlined federal guidelines to reopen the country. At a press conference on Friday, Gov. Baker said Massachusetts will open when it is safe, and in consultation with the surrounding northeastern states.
"We're... in discussion with other states and the business community, to start building plans on how we can gradually and safely reopen the economy," Baker said. "[The federal government] has rightly deferred to states to make the best decision on behalf of their residents.”
Baker said the Trump Administration needs to help the state in its COVID-19 testing efforts, which he said should include providing "significant resources for the CDC and the FDA to up their game, because they are a major player in establishing a far more significant testing capacity in the United States."
Baker reiterated that Massachusetts is currently in the surge of the coronavirus pandemic. Friday was the fourth day in a row where more than 100 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the state DPH.
While Baker said Massachusetts is well positioned to deal with the surge, he urged residents to continue to practice social distancing measures and stay home. He also asked anyone who is contacted by the state's Contact Tracing Collaborative to answer the phone and respond to the questions, so the virus can be accurately traced.
Gov. Baker said officials are watching for a continuous 14-day decline in the number of positive coronavirus cases before the state can consider taking measures to reopen.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@karynregal) reports:
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