Politico Massachusetts Playbook: BAKER bans GATHERINGS over 25 — Restaurants limited to TAKEOUT and DELIVERY — Life under QUARANTINE

BAKER bans GATHERINGS over 25 — Restaurants limited to TAKEOUT and DELIVERY — Life under QUARANTINE

By Stephanie Murray

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's Monday. WHAT TO KNOW THIS MORNING — Gov. Charlie Baker summed it up on Sunday evening. A reporter asked how he was feeling, and Baker said that a charity event he attended 10 days ago felt like "a million years ago." The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the United States into emergency mode, and that includes Massachusetts. The governor and other state officials are holding daily press conferences and operating a new "coronavirus command center" to mitigate the outbreak. Bay Staters are waking up this morning and adjusting to a new way of life, which became more restricted on Sunday evening. Gov. Charlie Baker banned gatherings of more than 25 people yesterday, ordered schools closed and reduced restaurants and bars to takeout and delivery only. Here are a few things to know this morning: Cases are expected to rise - Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said yesterday that the number of coronavirus cases is expected to go up in Massachusetts. That's partly because more tests are becoming available, and because the virus is contagious. There are 164 coronavirus cases in Massachusetts as of Sunday afternoon, up from 138 on Saturday. Schools are closed until April 7 - Baker ordered all elementary and secondary schools closed on Sunday evening, which goes into effect Tuesday. Most public school districts in Massachusetts had already decided to close last week. Baker's guidance does not apply to childcare centers, like daycares, though some are trying to change that with a petition, according to MassLive . Students who are home should stay there, Baker said on Sunday, and not visit friends. "We're urging parents and caretakers to use the next three weeks to truly practice social distancing," Baker said. "This means no free-for-all play dates." Restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery - Restaurants and bars are barred from serving customers in-house until April 5. Takeout and delivery orders are permitted, but restaurant workers and owners are already worrying about how they will survive financially over the next three weeks. Baker's order came after St. Patrick's Day revelers lined up in front of popular bars over the weekend, seemingly ignoring orders to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. The state is not going on lockdown - Despite rumors to the contrary, Massachusetts is not going on a so-called lockdown, or issuing a forced shelter-in-place order, Baker said Sunday. He addressed the rumors during the WCVB show "On the Record" and again in a press conference that evening. Asked why the state doesn't lock down, Baker said residents will still need to visit grocery stores. "A complete shutdown, especially for a lot of the folks who can't do shopping associated with buying three months of stuff, would put them in a terrible position," Baker told reporters. Senate eyes telemedicine - Last week, state lawmakers passed a bill to create a $15 million fund to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. This week, the state Senate is shifting its attention to telemedicine. Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement on Sunday night the Senate is working to "tee up legislation" to expand access to telehealth, which would allow patients to consult with medical professionals remotely rather than in-person at an office. Frustration among elected officials - There's been some disagreement among state leaders, especially as the federal government leaves much of the decision-making up to the individual states. Before Baker announced school closures and restaurant restrictions, some lawmakers and local elected officials tried to push him toward that decision. Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen started a petition urging Baker to close schools. State Rep. Mike Connolly and state Sen. Jamie Eldridge shared the petition online, which garnered 13,000 signatures. And State Rep. Jon Santiago, an emergency room doctor, said President Donald Trump's handling of the outbreak has "put us in a position that's extremely hard to come out of," during a virtual town hall with Rep. Joe Kennedy III on Sunday afternoon. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo hold a leadership meeting. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Rep. Katherine Clark are guests on WGBH's "Greater Boston." Rep. Stephen Lynch livestreams a coronavirus information session on Facebook. Former Rep. Michael Capuano is a guest on WBUR. Rep. Seth Moulton hosts a virtual town hall on Facebook.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

- "Baker closes schools, restricts restaurants, bans gatherings over 25 as community spread of coronavirus seen in 7 Mass. counties," by Felice Belman and John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker on Sunday night ordered all public and private schools across Massachusetts to close for three weeks, beginning Tuesday, and has limited all restaurants to only takeout and delivery as of Tuesday, in his most sweeping action yet to slow the increasing rate of the spread of the novel coronavirus. Amid a rapid fire set of orders from a podium in the State House during a rare Sunday evening news conference, Baker also lowered the threshold for any public gatherings from the 250-person limit he set last week to 25." - "Coronavirus fallout: As Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker limits gatherings of 25 or more people, workers ask what that means for their workplaces, daycares," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: " Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's announcement Sunday night banning gatherings of 25 or more people sent workers scrambling to find out what that means for their jobs, their children's daycare facilities and preschools. That ban on gatherings, like the other restrictions announced Sunday, take effect Tuesday and continue through April 5. But do 'gatherings' and 'spaces' also refer to a workplace with 25 or more people? That's the question people across the state had after some employers told them to show up to work on Monday." - "There Are No Plans To Issue Statewide Shelter In Place, Baker Says," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "Gov. Charlie Baker said Sunday morning he has no plans to issue a statewide quarantine in Massachusetts, calling the rumors "wild speculation." The governor made the comments on WCVB-TV on Sunday. He said business leaders and others across the state have been reaching out to him asking whether he would order a 14-day shelter in place." - "Mass. increases coronavirus testing, 'but it's not nearly enough,' some say," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts on Sunday announced a big jump in the number of residents who have been tested for the Covid-19 virus in just the previous day, but public health experts warned that the state remains a long way from testing enough people every day to sufficiently halt the spread of the disease. Officials said 969 people had been tested for coronavirus as of Sunday evening, up from 475 Saturday. The increase followed changes in testing protocols and the addition of testing labs to ease the bottlenecks that many physicians complained were preventing them from diagnosing patients."

- "Union asks state to allow more telecommuting during health crisis," by Shafaq Patel, Boston Globe: "A union representing state engineers and scientists has called on the Baker Administration to allow more state employees to work remotely during the coronavirus crisis. The move by the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers & Scientists came after Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts on Friday and urged workers feeling sick to stay at home. The employee union represents technical, engineering, and scientific employees of 29 different Massachusetts state agencies." - "Coronavirus will close Massachusetts casinos for at least two weeks," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "State regulators have closed all three Massachusetts casinos for at least two weeks in hopes of slowing the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously on Saturday morning to close Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino as quickly as possible. Casino floors will close a few hours after midnight and hotels on Sunday." FROM THE HUB - "City of Boston to launch coronavirus fund for families hit hardest by crisis," by Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: "As Greater Boston faces one of the biggest public health crises in its history — with schools shuttering, businesses running remotely, and health care workers bracing for a spike in patients — leaders in the city's business and philanthropic communities are stepping up to help those who stand to be hurt the most. On Monday, the City of Boston will announce a new fund to assist families affected by the sprawling coronavirus outbreak. According to sources familiar with the plans, the city has already tapped Jack Connors, one of Boston's most prolific fund-raisers; Partners, the state's largest health care provider; and one of the city's most prominent executives, Vertex CEO Jeff Leiden, to help drive the effort." - "State to assert new oversight of Boston schools," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "State and city leaders have agreed to an unusual plan for oversight of the long-struggling Boston public schools, one that keeps the district in local hands but will set firm goals for improvement and give state education commissioner Jeff Riley broad authority to monitor progress on a range of measures — and intervene if the schools fail to demonstrate clear gains. The agreement comes in the wake of a damning 286-page state review of the Boston schools, also released on Friday, which describes a district with systemic shortcomings, special education services 'in disarray,' and particularly acute deficiencies in serving English language learners." - "Virus notes: At Logan, no chaos, but uneven screening measures," by Sarah Betancourt and Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The situation at Logan International Airport's Terminal E on Sunday stood in sharp contrast to the mayhem that unfolded at Chicago's O' Hare Airport and at New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport where hundreds of people were closely confined for hours in customs lines as officials scrambled to impose new health screening for the novel coronavirus. The Logan terminal was calm and mostly empty while passengers exited multiple international flights, but there were questions about how effectively the health screening protocol was being deployed." - "Two Boston health care workers test positive for coronavirus," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Two Boston hospital professionals have tested positive for coronavirus — and medical experts say health care workers on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus must be better protected from the highly contagious disease. A health care worker at Brigham and Women's Hospital has tested positive for the coronavirus, the hospital confirmed. Also, a health care employee at Massachusetts Eye and Ear has tested positive for the highly contagious disease, the Boston Public Health Commission confirmed on Sunday." - "With worship services canceled, congregations improvise," by Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe: "Like tens of thousands of churches, synagogues, and mosques across the country, St. John's used a virtual bridge this weekend to bring religious services to its congregation, hoping to help protect its parishioners from the spread of the coronavirus. The bridge at St. John's was Facebook Live, and the 10 a.m. service, which normally attracts 200 congregants, was viewed by more than 400 people from Hingham to California to Canada." ALL ABOARD - "MBTA considering plans for service reductions as ridership falls during coronavirus," by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to run normal service Monday to serve a dwindling ridership amid the coronavirus outbreak, but acknowledged that it could eventually follow other cities in reducing the frequency of trains and buses. MBTA leaders held a conference call Sunday morning to discuss the latest plans and came away still preparing to run regular weekday service, which — on a good day — means trains every few minutes on the subway. But the agency is also working on 'contingency plans' that could lead to reductions, said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo." DAY IN COURT - "Prosecutors won't pursue Boston Calling case against Walsh aides," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "A month after a federal judge vacated convictions of two former City Hall aides accused of extorting union jobs from organizers of the Boston Calling music festival, the US Attorney for Massachusetts announced Friday his office will no longer pursue the case. The decision by US Attorney Andrew Lelling officially brings to a close a years-long legal saga that has dogged Mayor Martin J. Walsh's administration, and highlighted his long established ties to organized labor." - "Despite virus, business as usual at immigration courts," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: Immigration courts are full of people, often pressed together in tight quarters. But the Executive Office of Immigration Review, which runs all immigration courts, has refused to shut down courtrooms nationwide, or develop a mitigation strategy to stem the spread of COVID-19. In Massachusetts, immigration attorneys and their clients are very concerned. Some, like East Boston attorney Matt Cameron, have already begin limiting contact with others in hopes of not getting or spreading the virus. But one thing he can't avoid is walking into court." - "Violence, abuse and retaliation: How a 'toxic culture' within the walls of Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center has turned it into a 'powder keg,'" by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: "Within the walls of the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, a groundswell of issues was percolating. On Jan. 10, those issues came to a head when correction officers were viciously assaulted by several inmates. One officer was hospitalized with a head injury and two other officers were injured when they tried to help. The incident has prompted officials to look closely at safety at the maximum-security facility while the union for the correction officers and inmates alike have both complained of serious problems within the prison's walls." WARREN REPORT - "Biden endorses Warren's bankruptcy plan, calling it 'one of the things that I think Bernie and I will agree on,'" by Eric Bradner and Arlette Saenz, CNN: "Former Vice President Joe Biden says he now backs Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's bankruptcy plan, endorsing his former Democratic rival's proposal to repeal portions of a law they had clashed over 15 years earlier. Biden touted his support for Warren's plan as an olive branch to supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in a virtual town hall for Illinois voters Friday night, calling it 'one of the things that I think Bernie and I will agree on.'" MARKEYCHUSETTS - "Markey calls for wartime mobilization on coronavirus gear," Boston Globe: "Senator Edward J. Markey called Sunday for a wartime-like mobilization of private manufacturing to supply hospitals with the tests and protective equipment they need to handle the novel coronavirus. In a Boston press conference, Markey urged the Trump Administration to use the Defense Production Act, a law passed at the start of the Korean War in 1950, to mobilize private industry for defense production. Markey called for exponential increases in production of testing kits and protective gear like respirator masks for health care workers." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE," — Globe: "Baker closes schools, restricts restaurants, limits gatherings in unparalleled action," "Virus requires drastic moves, governor says." FROM THE 413 - "Pandemic presents 'unprecedented' challenge to public life in Berkshires," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "Normally, March is the peak of cabin fever. This year, orders to work from home or endure self-quarantine are keeping the walls up. In conversations Saturday, people around Berkshire County shared views of how public life is changing in the wake of measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The watchword: uncertainty." - "Amid crisis, homeless shelters staying open in Northampton, Amherst," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Overnight seasonal shelters in Northampton and Amherst ensure that vulnerable populations have a place to stay during the coldest months of the year. But with uncertainty surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and disruptions caused by the illness, both the Interfaith Shelter in Northampton and Craig's Place in Amherst are taking steps to keep both guests and workers safe." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Atkinson girl quarantined after visiting Italy," by Erin Nolan, Eagle-Tribune: "Just two weeks ago, 17-year-old Katie Lonergan was in Italy on a school trip — shopping at the Campo De Fiori, exploring the ancient city of Pompeii, hiking Mt. Vesuvius and eating gelato every night. The Timberlane Regional High junior called it 'the most fun I have ever had.' Then the Atkinson teen developed flu-like symptoms a few days before she was scheduled to return to New Hampshire, sparking fears about the new coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19. - "First COVID-19 case triggers multi-pronged response," by Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times: "Town officials in Barnstable and Sandwich have been working closely with officials in the Barnstable Public Schools since the county's first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported Saturday. A Sandwich man in his 60s tested positive Saturday for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The man was admitted to a Cape Cod Healthcare hospital and was approved by the state Department of Public Health for COVID-19 testing." - "New Bedford mayor declares state of emergency, cancels large events," by Melanie DaSilva, WPRI: "New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and other officials announced Friday that a state of emergency now exists in the city due to the novel coronavirus. Mitchell said the declaration allows him to take steps to ensure public safety and expedite the procurement of goods and services. He also noted that the city is in contact with health experts and their decisions are based upon their recommendations." - "Scuba divers claim unfair treatment by beach neighbors," by Michael Cronin, The Salem News: "Local scuba instructors and neighbors of Back Beach are still clashing about classes being held on the public beach, despite efforts to streamline the permitting process by the town. Mike Merriman, a scuba instructor for the past 20 years, said he believes members of the Cape Ann scuba community are under the microscope whenever they dive in Rockport. Other divers have posted about their frustrations on Facebook." HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Sunday birthday-ers Miles Weber, Susan Slattery and Lenny Alcivar. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to the Boston Globe's Felicia Gans; Mark Eurich and James Heflin. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? The home teams are not playing. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. 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