Boston Reopens to Phase Three Step One on February 1 as COVID Numbers Decline

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6490 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston advances to Phase Three, Step One COVID reopening on February 1 as case numbers and positivity rates decline. Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez announced the move at a Tuesday press briefing, citing two consecutive weeks of improving data: the city's community positive test rate fell to 7.2 percent for the week ending January 17, down from 7.5 percent, and hospitalizations dropped by roughly 80 patients on average over two weeks. Gyms, movie theaters, bowling alleys, museums, and other eligible venues may reopen subject to a 25 percent capacity limit through at least February 8; indoor gatherings remain capped at 10.

The city also confirmed a new mass vaccination site at the Reggie Lewis Track Center in Roxbury opening the following week and a new testing site at the Strand Theatre in Upham's Corner, Dorchester, operating Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents 75 and older become eligible for vaccination starting the following week, with appointments available at Fenway Park and Roxbury Community College. Boston's cumulative COVID-19 death toll stands at 1,133.

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Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6490 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.