Baker Mum On MA Businesses Reopening, Keeps Eye On Long Game

FALL RIVER, MA — Gov. Charlie Baker remained firm in his refusal to detail what businesses will be allowed to reopen May 18, indicating part of the reason for waiting was to see what the health data over the next several days will look like.

Baker said he wants the "starting gun" for the economy to be Monday, not before. That's when the state's reopening advisory board will release its report on the phased reopening and when the closure of nonessential businesses and stay-at-home advisory are lifted.

"I want [reopening] to be done in a deliberate way and you don't do something in a deliberate way if you start leaking it out" before the report comes out Monday, Baker told reporters Wednesday afternoon at a drive-thru testing site in Fall River.

He indicated public health data, which has generally been trending in a positive direction in recent weeks, is going a long way in influencing the state's decisions.

"I want to make sure that we have all the data we need when we make this decision," he said.

Baker said the reason for the phased reopening is to look ahead where the state wants to be months from now, not where the state wants to be tomorrow.

"When we reopen we're going to want to be able to sustain that reopening over time," he said.

Baker again reiterated the businesses that will be allowed to reopen will be ones that are best positioned to limit face-to-face interactions and avoid the spread of the coronavirus. The process, he said, will continue to be a slow one.

"The last thing we're going to do is reopen [economy] in a way that will fire that virus up again," he said.

Baker also mentioned Monday he will have something to say about graduations and school in the fall. He also said he will provide an update on coronavirus testing before the end of this week.

He said the state has seen about a 20 percent drop in coronavirus hospitalizations since the number peaked in mid-April. Still, Baker warned Massachusetts remains one of the hardest-hit states in the country and faces a long road ahead.

The state's contact tracing has reached about 18,000 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus and about 14,000 of their close contacts.