Massachusetts will allow limited return of fans to Fenway, Gillette
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is again planning to ease some of its coronavirus restrictions as the number of hospitalizations and new infections decline and vaccinations climb, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday. That includes allowing a limited number of fans back into Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium.
Beginning Monday, indoor performance venues such as concert halls and theaters will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity with no more than 500 persons, while indoor recreational activities like laser tag, roller skating and trampolines can also reopen at 50% capacity.
Also Monday, all sectors with capacity limits will be raised to 50%. Restaurants will no longer have a percent capacity limit and will be permitted to host musical performances.
Six-foot (2-meter) social distancing, limits of six people per table and 90-minute limits remain in place.
On March 22, the state will open a range of previously closed businesses under tight capacity restrictions.
That includes indoor and outdoor stadiums, arenas and ballparks – including Fenway, Gillette and the TD Garden. At first the facilities will operate at a strict 12% capacity limit after submitting a plan to the Department of Public Health.
Fenway and Gillette are currently serving as mass vaccination sites that have been key to the state’s vaccination efforts.
Asked if they would continue to serve as vaccination sites, Baker said his administration is talking with the venues.
“I don’t have a hard answer for you on that one today. Obviously, they are important players in this vaccination
effort,” he said. “We’re going to try and figure that one out.”
VACCINE WEBSITE
Massachusetts’ vaccine appointment website appeared to be working on Thursday, about a week after it crashed from a flood of people looking to book a time for a shot, but slots quickly filled up and some people were told they may be waiting hours.
About 50,000 new appointments were made available at six mass vaccination sites around the state, but many more people than that are eligible for a vaccine.
The state on its official Twitter feed said Thursday: “Due to a severely limited vaccine supply and a large population of individuals eligible to get a vaccine, this week’s 50,000 appointments at mass vaccination sites across the Commonwealth are nearly all filled.”
People unable to schedule an appointment were told by the state that it may take several attempts over the course of a few weeks to get an open slot.
A new feature of the website is a “digital waiting room” where users will be placed before proceeding to the vaccination page, but there were reports of hourslong waits on Thursday.
VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS
The number of newly confirmed coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts rose by 33 on Thursday, pushing the state’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 15,657 since the start of the pandemic.
The number of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by about 1,900 and its confirmed caseload rose to more than 545,000.
The true number of cases is likely higher because studies suggest some people can be infected and not feel sick.
There were about 850 people reported hospitalized Thursday because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 220 in intensive care units.
The average age of those hospitalized was 69. There were an estimated 32,000 people with current active cases of COVID-19 in the state.
The number of probable or confirmed COVID-19 deaths reported in long-term care facilities rose to 8,531.
More than 1.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts, including more than 1.1 million first doses and more than 454,000 second doses.