Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Boston

The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Boston.

2020 February

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported by state officials on February1. The individual, a male in his 20s, had recently returned from Wuhan, China and began experiencing symptoms. He sought medical care but did not require hospitalization, and was therefore able to self-isolate and recover at home.

175 executives of Biogen, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, held a two-day leadership conference from February 26–28 at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel. On February 29, a Biogen executive began to develop symptoms and sought treatment at a Boston area hospital. Suspecting COVID-19 was the cause of the illness, the executive requested a test, but was told by hospital staff that it was not necessary.

March

March 1–10 On March 4, staff from Biogen contacted the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) to report that two executives who had recently traveled from Europe to Boston and had attended the February employee meeting had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 upon returning home. The same day, a "significant number" of Biogen employees asked to be tested for the virus at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which had not been informed that anyone at the company had been exposed. The state police announced Shattuck Street would be closed because a group of 60 individuals were being transported along the route to Brigham and Women's Hospital.

On March5, Biogen reported that three individuals who had attended the company event in Boston the previous week had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. On March 6, the Boston Public Health Commission announced three new presumptive cases of SARS-CoV-2. Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency for the state of Massachusetts on March 10.

March 11–20 Boston announced the closure of the Eliot K-8 school on March 11. On March 13, the 2020 Boston Marathon was postponed to September 14, 2020. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced the closure of all Boston schools from March 17 until April 27.

On March 12, the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel, which had hosted the Biogen company gathering, closed temporarily. In a letter to their guests, the hotel said it made the decision in cooperation with the Boston Public Health Commission.

On March 15, Mayor Walsh declared a public health emergency due to the concerns over COVID-19. Restaurants, bar rooms, and nightclubs were required to reduce their capacity by at least 50 percent. Governor Charlie Baker limited gatherings to below 25 people.

A 59-year-old Worcester man died on a flight from Dubai to Boston, sparking speculation that he had died from COVID-19. He had been sick with gastrointestinal problems and was in cardiac arrest during the flight. On March 16, Massachusetts State Police said an autopsy revealed he did not have COVID-19.

On March 15, Baker ordered all public and private schools in Massachusetts to close for three weeks, from March 17 through April7. The same day, he also banned eating at restaurants, banned gatherings of more than 25 people, relaxed unemployment claim requirements, and enacted other interventions to try to slow the spread of COVID-19.

On March 16, Mayor Walsh announced the closure of the Boston Public Library system. The MBTA also announced that service would be reduced starting March 17. Mayor Walsh also announced the closure of all construction sites starting March 17. On March 18, the City of Boston closed all playgrounds.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced that, starting March 17, it would run the subway and buses at Saturday levels of service during the week, with express buses still running, ferries not running, and commuter rail running on a modified schedule. The next day, service was increased on the Blue Line, Green Line E branch (which serves Longwood Medical Area), and some bus lines to reduce crowding. Frequency on Massport shuttles to Logan International Airport was reduced or canceled. On March 19, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission suspended all water service terminations.

March 21–31 On March 23, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued an order for all employers that do not provide essential services to close their workspaces. The limit of gatherings was lowered to 10 people. Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a two-week stay-at-home advisory. On March 25, Governor Baker extended the closure of schools to May4.

On March 30, Mayor Walsh announced that a partnership will create subsidized housing for a thousand Boston Public Schools families at risk of displacement. On March 31, Governor Baker extended his non-essential business closure to May4.

On March 31, the MBTA announced that 18 transit workers had tested positive for the virus. In addition, the Boston Police Department confirmed that 19 officers and three civilian employees had all tested positive.

April

April 1–10 The Archdiocese of Boston announced that eight priests had tested positive for the disease. On April2, Mayor Walsh announced plans to convert the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) into a field hospital with 500 beds assigned to the homeless and 500 to accept COVID-19 patients from city hospitals.

On April 2, more than 500 healthcare workers in Boston hospitals were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19. On April 5, Mayor Walsh announced new regulations for social distancing in Boston. He encouraged everyone to wear a face covering when outside. The BPHC ordered for everyone except essential workers stay at home from 9:00pm to 6:00am every day, enforcing a curfew.

On April 5, Boston City Hall was closed to the public except for Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Every individual entering City Hall, including employees, was required to complete a self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms. On April 9, a new mortgage relief partnership was created to aid homeowners during the pandemic.

On April 9, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published a preliminary study of sewage samples taken in the Boston area on March 25, in an effort to determine the extent of COVID-19 infections. Based on concentrations of the virus found in the samples, the study suggested that approximately 115,000 of the Boston region's 2.3 million people were infected. At the time of sampling, Boston had only 284 confirmed cases in the area.

April 11–20 Starting the evening of Friday April 11, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation closed some parkways to vehicle traffic to allow recreational pedestrians to spread out, and reduced parking availability at some state parks. The City of Boston also reduced parking near the Arnold Arboretum.

On April 16, Mayor Walsh announced that a thousand residents will be invited to a Massachusetts study related to COVID-19 antibody testing. On April 19, Boston deployed seven Boston Public Works trucks to broadcast a message about COVID-19.

April 21–30 On April 21, Governor Baker announced the closure of all K-12 schools in Massachusetts through the end of the school year. On April 22, former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts announced that her oldest brother had died from COVID-19 in Oklahoma.

On April 25, Governor Baker addressed the topic of when stay-at-home measures and closures of non-essential businesses would end. When restrictions were originally announced in mid-March, they were slated to end at noon on April7; later their projected end date was pushed to May4. Baker said it was unlikely restrictions would be lifted by then because the surge of cases had hit later than expectedMay4 presumed a surge in early April. Baker said the process of reopening will begin when hospitalizations start to decline consistently, and when there is "some evidence that we are in fact over the hump... with respect to the surge."

On April 27, Boston Public Health Commission extended the public health emergency declaration until further notice. On April 28, Governor Baker extended the stay-at-home advisory and non-essential business closure to May 18. He also said that once the advisory expires, the process of reopening will begin in stages, and not happen all at once. On April 29, the Public Health Advisory enforcing a curfew in Boston was extended to May 18.

May

May 1–10 On May 1, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker ordered all residents to wear a mask in public places when social distancing measures are not possible. This order goes into effect on May6. On May4, hundreds of protesters gathered near the Massachusetts State House to protest closures.

On May6, the city of Boston launched a major expansion in the public testing of COVID-19 in Boston. The Boston Resiliency Fund awarded $1 million in grants to assist organizations helping to aid residents impacted most by the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 8, Boston city officials announced that all parades and festivals were to be suspended to and on September 7.

May 11–20 On May13, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced his guidelines for reopening, starting May 18. He mentioned that the reopening will be in four phases, from now to later this year. The first phase, will be very strict reopening, with just a few businesses opening again and with major social distancing and mask wearing regulations. The second phase will be cautious, with strict regulations remaining but more businesses reopening. The third phase will be a vigilant phase where most businesses open, but with very strict regulations. The fourth and final phase, as Baker stated, will be when a COVID-19 vaccine allows resumption of a new normal. In any of the first three phases, Baker states the state may have to go back a phase, if COVID-19 starts spreading again. Governor Baker stated that more details will be mentioned on May 18.

On May 16, Mayor Walsh released results of antibody testing among Boston residents. Voluntarily, 1,000 residents were signed up and 786 were eligible. 750 residents participated in COVID-19 antibody testing. Mayor Walsh stated that antibodies were present in 9.9% of the 750 residents. 2.6% of the residents were asymptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19. Mayor Walsh stated that the city can draw a conclusion that most residents have not been yet exposed to the virus.

On May 18, Governor Baker released the details of the plan to reopen businesses in Massachusetts, and renamed the stay-at-home advisory to a "safer at home" advisory. The plan allows places of worship, essential businesses, manufacturing businesses, and construction sites to reopen with strict restrictions on May 18. Also as of May 18, hospitals and health centers may begin providing urgent preventative care and treatment services to high-risk patients. Baker also announced that people who choose to ride the MBTA will be required to wear masks. Beginning on May 25, additional businesses will be able to open, also with restrictions. Although Baker's plan includes office buildings in the list of businesses allowed to open on May 25, offices within Boston will not be allowed to open until June 1.

On May 19, the City of Boston announced that construction sites were to open slowly. The city was to allow necessary construction on schools and hospitals until May 25. On May 26, all construction was to be allowed in Boston, with social distancing and mask wearing.

May 21–31