Goal of reopening certain businesses on May 18, Gov. Baker says

"Our goal, starting on May 18, is to begin reopening certain types of businesses in a limited fashion, where it can be done more safely than under normal operations.

But this phased-in process can't begin until we see sustained downward trends in many of the data elements that we talk about every day."

ENCOURAGED.WE ARE SURE -- STILL VERY MUCHIN THE FIGHT BUT IT ISENCOURAGING TO SEE SOME POSITIVEPROGRESS.AS WE COME TO THE OTHER SIDE OFTHIS AND DETERMINE OUR NEXT STEPFOR A PATH FORWARD, WE NEED TOSEE THOSE NUMBERS CONTINUE TODROP.OUR GOA STARTING MAY 18 IS TOBEGIN REOPENING CERTAIN TYPES OFBUSINESSES IN A LIMITED FASHIONWHERE IT CAN BE DONE MORE SAFELYTHAN UNDER NORMAL OPERATIONS.BUT THIS PHASED-IN PROCESS CAN’TBEGIN UNTIL WE SEE SUSTAINEDDOWNWARD TRENDS IN MANY OF THEDATA ELEMENTS THAT WE TALK ABOUTEVERY DAY.POSITIVE TEST RATES,HOSPITALIZATION RATES,FATALITIES.ANOTHER CRITICAL DATA POINT WEARE MONITORING IS THE NUMBER OFHOSPITALS THAT ARE TREATINGPATIENTS UNDER SO-CALL SURGECONDITIONS.WHAT THAT MEANS IS SEVERAL WEEKAGO, WHEN WE CANCELED ELECTIVESURGERIES, ADMIRED BEDS TO TSYSTEM TO HELP WITH INCREASEOF COVID PATIENTS.THIS WAS DONE IN SEVERAL WAYS.YIELD HOSPITALS WERE SET UPWINGS OF SOME HOSPITALS THATWERE DORMANT WERE BROUGHT BACKONLINE, AND HEALTH CAREPROVIDERS ACTUALLY CONVERTEDPARTS OF THEIR FACILITIES TOTREAT COVID-19 AND ICU PATIENTS.RIGHT NOW A SIGNIFICANT NUMBEROF HOSPITALS ARE STILL VERY MUCHRELYING ON THESE TEMPORARYSPACES AND BED.WE NEED TO HAVE MORE AND MOREPATIENTS RECOVERING AND MOVINGOUT OF HOSPITAL LEVEL CARE SOTHAT HOSPITALS CAN RETURNWHAT WE WOULD DESCRIBE AS A MORENORMAL LEVEL LIKE -- OFACTIVITY.THE PHASE THREE OPEN -- BASEDREOPENING CAN’T MOVE FORWARDUNTIL WE SEE PRO