Staffers at Boston Hope, the 1,000-bed field hospital set up in a week in April to handle a surge of Covid-19 patients, cheered and clapped yesterday as the hospital's last three patients were discharged. Being Boston, of course, they also sang "Sweet Caroline" for one. Read more.
Brookline officials announced today that the town will select 400 random residents to test for antibodies to Covid-19, to help gauge just how far the virus has spread through the town. Read more.
Gov. Baker announced today that a non-profit group working with the state is hiring 1,000 "contact tracers" to interview Covid-19 patients and find out all the people they may have come in contact with to follow them and get them testing and care if needed. Read more.
Over the weekend, BPS custodians and Tufts Medical Center staffers converted the Quincy Elementary School cafeteria, just down Washington Sstreet from the hospital, into a clinic for screening people with Covid-19 symptoms. Read more.
Mayor Walsh today ordered all construction companies to secure their sites and stop all work by Monday for at least two weeks and said both city libraries and community centers will be shut - libraries tonight, community centers on Wednesday - to try to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Read more.
Ed note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Brookline had set a 5 p.m. curfew on restaurants, because ye ed can't read.
Brookline officials today banned lines of more than 10 people at restaurants and bars - but has lifted its ban on styrofoam containers, to help restaurants speed up preparation of takeout and delivery orders - as part of a town declaration of a state of emergency due to Covid-19. Read more.
With schools, restaurants, bars and houses of worship closing, the union representing many BPL employees today demanded that library officials order an immediate shutdown of Boston libraries because of concerns that with all the other closings, city libraries will quickly become Covid-19 breeding grounds. Read more.
Gov. Baker today ordered all restaurants shut - except for kitchens, which can keep filling take-out orders, until April 7, and banned all gatherings of more than 25 people.
Big Night Entertainment, which runs 17 clubs, bars and restaurants in Boston and at Foxwoods announced today it's shutting all of them until April 1 due to Covid-19 concerns.
After seeing long lines outside South Boston bars yesterday, Mayor Walsh today ordered all bars and restaurants to immediately cut their capacity by 50% and to close no later than 11 p.m. Read more.
Ed note: The following was written by former Herald staffer Adam Smith.
Our family has been pretty good at social distancing, years before it was called for. We got a little better several weeks ago as we could see what was coming – or what we knew was already here, just no light had been shone in the right places to detect it. Read more.
The Dorchester Reporter reports that after South Boston started trending nationally on Twitter yesterday, the neighborhood watering holes have agreed to voluntarily stay closed today.
Update: Brigham and Women's, too.
WBZ reports. The person is now in self quarantine at home and the hospital is alerting everybody the person had contact with. Read more.
After telling students they could stay in their dorms for the rest of the semester - even if they were taking their classes remotely like everybody else - Northeastern told students today they have to vacate their dorms by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Read more.
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