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Labor Day Weekend Draws COVID-19 Concerns; Three More States Qualify As Lower-Risk for Travel Order [COVID-19 Weekly Update]

There were thirteen new COVID-19 cases this week in the Downtown, North End, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay neighborhoods, according to the Boston Public Health Commission’s weekly report through September 3rd. The total number of cases for the downtown neighborhoods stand at 588, a rate of 105.5 per 10,000 residents.

The City of Boston reported 15,788 total cases with 368 new cases this week according to Boston’s COVID-19 tracking dashboardThe City reported two new deaths this week with the total number of deaths standing at 754.

According to the state’s new weekly reporting on case counts in each city/town, Boston was shown to have an average daily incidence rate of 7.4 per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period.

As Labor Day weekend arrives, health officials have expressed concerns regarding large gatherings and the potential of coronavirus spread. Health and Human Services Secretary Mary Lou Sudders stated that coronavirus enforcement teams will be staged in 15 places across the Commonwealth over the holiday weekend during a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

“As we head into yet another holiday weekend and our back-to-school season, it’s important that all of the Commonwealth’s residents stick to these proven practices,” stated Governor Charlie Baker, reiterating the importance of face coverings, social distancing, and frequent hand-washing.

Three more states were added to Massachusetts’s quarantine-exempt list, according to the Massachusetts COVID-19 travel order. Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming join ten other states deemed lower-risk for coronavirus spread. Travelers from these states are not required to fill out the state’s travel form or quarantine for fourteen days.

Every northeastern state except Rhode Island is now excluded from travel restrictions that other visitors face. Some other exceptions are those crossing state lines regularly for work or school, people seeking or receiving medical care from a Massachusetts-based doctor, military personnel, and those providing critical infrastructure services.

Massachusetts has 120,038 total confirmed positive cases, according to the most recent dataThere were 2,150 new COVID-19 cases reported this week. There have been 8,892 total deaths with 101 new deaths this week.