Gov. Baker outlines 4-phase approach to reopening Mass. economy

The four phases are titled: Start, Cautious, Vigilant and New Normal.

COVID-19 WORLD.BACK TO THE DETAILS WITH RESPECTTO THE FOUR PHASED APPROACH.MARCH 23, ALL NONESSENTIALBUSINESSES ACROSS THE STATE WERFORCED TO CLOSE TO PREVENT THETRANSMISSION OF COVID-19.WE KNOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN EASYAND THE MANY BUSINESSES LARGEAND SMALL ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIESHAVE SUFFERED AS A RESULT.WE ARE ANXIOUS TO TRY AND GETEVERYBODY BACK UP AND GOING ASSOON AS IT MAKES SENSE.THE GOAL OF THE REOPENING PLANIS TO METHODICALLY ALLOW CERTAINBUSINESSES, SERVICES ANDACTIVITIES TO RESUME WHILEPROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH ANDLIMITING A POSSIBLE RESURGENCEOF COVID-19 CASES.TO THAT END, MASSACHUSETTS WILLFOLLOW A FOUR PHASED APPROACH.PHASE ONE IS THE START.WE ARE LOOKING INDUSTRIES THATARE MORE NATURALLY SET UP TOHAVE LITTLE FACE-TO-FACEINTERACTIONS AND WORKPLACES THATARE BETTER ABLE TO MANAGEFACE-TO-FACE CUSTOMERINTERACTIONS WITH CERTAINCONDITIONS.PHASE TWO IS CALLED CAUTIOUS.WE PLAN TO HAVE MORE INDUSTRIESWITH FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONSRESUME OPERATIONS WITHCONDITIONS.PHASE THREE IS GOING TO BECALLED VIGILANT WHERE WE CANALLOW FOR LOOSENING OF SOME OFTHE RESTRICTIONS FROM EARLIERPHASES IF THE PUBLIC HEALT DATACONTINUES TO CONFORM TO THETERMS WE ARE ALL PURSUING.ALL THREE PHASES WILL DEPEND ONTHE PREVALENCE OF THE VIRUS ANDESPECIALLY ON THE CONDITIONS INOUR HOSPITALS.PHASE FOUR WILL BE THE NEWNORMAL.WE ALL KNOW LIFE WILL BEDIFFERENT BUT AS THE MEDICAL ANDSCIENCE COMMUNITI MAKEDEVELOPMEN, WE CAN PUT THISVIRUS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR.BUT NONE OF THAT IS GOING TOHAPPEN OVERNIGHT.WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOWPUBLIC HEALTH DATA AND THEMETRICS ONCE THE PHASE STARTBEGINS AND WHEN IT IS SAFE TOMOVE ON TO CONCURRENT PHASESAFTER THAT.THE GOAL IS TO BEGIN THISPROCESS AROUND MAY 18 BUT ITWILL BE GRADUAL AND THE FACTS ONTHE GROUND WILL DETERMINEWHETHER OR NOT WE ACTUALLY HITTHAT GOAL.THIS IS A DISEASE WE ARE STILLLEARNING ABOUT ACROSS THE GLOBE.WE HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE HARDESTHIT STATES WITH ALMOST 5000DEATHS AND NEARLY 78,000CONFIRMED CASES.THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO BEFLEXIBLE AND HONEST ABOUT THEFACT THAT THE TIMING AND THEDETAILS OF THESE PHASES COULDCHANGE DEPENDING UPON THE TRACKTHE VIRUS TAKES AS WE GOFORWARD.IF PUBLIC HEALTH METRICSINDICATE A PARTICULAR SECTOR ORINDUSTRY IS SUSCEPTIBLE TOSPREAD, THAT SPECIFIC INDUSTRY’SREOPENING MAY BE DELAYED.WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO REVISIT OURREOPENING APPROACH IF IT ANYGIVEN TIME THERE IS EVIDENCE OFWIDESPREAD COMMUNITYTRANSMISSION OR UNEXPECTED NEWSPIKE IN CASES BECAUSE WE WILLNOT ONLY CONTINUE TO TEST BUTSIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED TESTINGCAPABILITY AS WE GO FORWARDOBVIOUSLY WE HOPE NONE OF THESESETBACKS OCCUR BUT AS WE HAVESEEN AROUND