Massachusetts

Gov. Charlie Baker launched a new colored-coded system to label Massachusetts cities and towns based of the severity of their COVID-19 infection rates Tuesday, initiating a targeted approach to help contain the spread of coronavirus. Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere are included in the high risk, or “red,” category, meaning they have over eight cases per 100,000 residents. Twenty-nine other…

Long lines outside COVID-19 testing sites, like the Carewell Urgent Care in Needham, Massachusetts, are driven by demand. “Many people are getting directed that they need to have some sort of a test to return to work,” said Sean Ginter, the president and CEO of Carewell. “Many if they are going to be traveling or returning from some travel, if…

The new restrictions designed to keep people safe are having an impact on businesses.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday identified four high risk Massachusetts cities and towns that will be the focus of his new COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team. Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere are included in the high risk category, meaning they have over eight cases per 100,000 residents. Twenty-nine other communities, including Auburn, Belchertown, Boston, Brockton, Charlton, Chicopee, Fall River, Framingham,…

Massachusetts has identified how much coronavirus is currently spreading in all its communities, pointing out the 33 that are at moderate or high risk of spreading COVID-19 in a new map. The map is based on the average number of cases based on population size in the last two weeks. The metric will show where in Massachusetts a new COVID…

Four acts of vandalism involving Black Lives Matter signage were reported Monday morning in Arlington, Massachusetts, police said. The incidents took place at First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington, Calvary Church, and at two private residences, according to police. At First Parish Unitarian Universalist, police said someone spray-painted over a BLM banner. “I can’t begin to understand the motivation...

“Black Lives Matter” signs were targeted at churches and homes in Arlington.

Massachusetts released a map showing coronavirus hot spots across the state.

A 97-year-old man who was reported missing Tuesday evening in Worcester, Massachusetts, has been found safe, police said. Carmelo Ruiz walked off from Pleasant Valley Drive around 8 p.m., police said. They later confirmed he had been located. Police thanked the public for its help.

Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and his Democratic primary challenger, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, jabbed at each other in a heated televised debate Tuesday. The contest was one of the sharpest of the campaign as both candidates wrestled for the upper hand. One point of focus was the case of Danroy “DJ” Henry, a young Black man from...

As all colleges and universities continue to tweak their fall plans, UMass Medical School in Worcester has become a model for successfully bringing its roughly 2,200 students back on campus for the past month. UMass Medical School Chancellor Michael Collins credits weekly testing with turnaround times of 24-36 hours. And with more than 10,000 tests performed, they’ve had fewer than…

Some local colleges have already brought students back, but others are still deciding on how to do it safely and more have reversed course, no longer bringing students back.

Most of Massachusetts — all but 33 communities — have low enough rates of coronavirus spread that they should be able to safely open schools for at least some in-person learning this fall, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday. The comment comes as many school districts finalize whether students will be brought back to classrooms for the fall semester — a…

The Annisquam River in Gloucester, Massachusetts, was calm and cool Tuesday, with only a smattering of boaters, all of whom seemed to be practicing appropriate social distancing. It’s different on the weekend, which has prompted a response from the city’s mayor. “Just because being outside is low risk,” Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken said in a tweet, “doesn’t mean there...

Should school districts consider the local coronavirus infection rate when they decide on plans for reopening school this fall? Parents say there shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach.

The mayor of Gloucester is urging boaters to practice social distancing in the water.

The system is being overwhelmed with COVID-19 tests, and the results are not coming in quickly.

With a recent uptick in coronavirus cases, Gov. Charlie Baker is implementing new regulations starting Tuesday.

A Market Basket manager in Leominster, Massachusetts, paid it forward when he covered the cost of groceries for a grandfather who forgot his wallet at home last week. The man’s granddaughter, Nicki Heath, posted a message on Facebook expressing gratitude to the manager, Charlie Branch, and personally thanking him for his kindness, revealing that her grandfather suffers from dementia....