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Massachusetts lifts some virus-control restrictions

By Staff | Jan 25, 2021

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is relaxing some coronavirus restrictions on Monday as several key metrics used to measure the spread of the pandemic trend in the right direction.

Restaurants, movie theaters and many other businesses will now be allowed to remain open past 9:30 p.m. Also, a rule that required people to stay at home from 10 p.m. until 5 p.m. except for work or other essential travel has been lifted.

The restrictions were adopted in November as new cases surged.

The latest seven-day average positivity rate in Massachusetts has dropped to 4.83% as of Sunday, down from 7.2% on Jan. 10. State health departments are calculating positivity rate differently across the country, but for Massachusetts the AP calculates the rate by dividing new cases by test specimens using data from The COVID Tracking Project.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Massachusetts is also on the decline, at more than 4,200 on Sunday, down from at least 6,400 on Jan. 10, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

Hospitalizations are also falling.

Some safety measures remain in place, including a 25% capacity limit for many businesses, including restaurants and casinos.

The state Department of Public Health reported 3,750 new confirmed cases and 67 new virus-related deaths on Sunday.

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