Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday that the state is beginning to see the kind of downward trend in coronovirus infections that is needed in order to begin moving toward reopening the state's economy.
"We've seen a pretty steady downward trend on the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 for just about a week," Baker said. "That's a really encouraging sign and a key piece of data."
Baker has repeatedly said that the state would need to see at least two weeks of declining infection rates before he would lift the stay-at-home advisory that has kept so much of the state's economy idled. The current advisory was scheduled to expire May 4, but Baker extended it until May 18.
"As we come through the other side of this and start to determine next steps for going forward, we need to see these numbers continue to fall," Baker said. He noted that as coronavirus testing has ramped up across the state, the percentage of confirmed cases has declined, and is now at its lowest point since mid-March.
"We've seen, for the first time, a few days in a row of the right kinds of trends," Baker said, but that needs to continue. "No one thinks you need less than 14 days," before moving toward reopening the economy, he said.
Baker was touring the Fall River sewing factory of Merrow Manufacturing, which has transformed its production line to become a long-term provider of medical protective gowns and other gear. Baker said the effort is a step toward his goal of establishing a local supply chain for critical emergency response supplies.
