Boston Will Not Reopen May 4, Walsh Announces Amid COVID-19 Surge

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6268 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced Monday that the city would not reopen on May 4, citing the need for clear public health benchmarks before any restrictions are eased. Speaking at a City Hall press briefing, Walsh reported 8,159 total confirmed COVID-19 cases and 302 deaths in Boston as of Monday, with 31 deaths recorded in the prior 24 hours. Walsh also launched a 1,000-person antibody testing initiative in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital, targeting randomly selected residents in East Boston, Roslindale, and two Dorchester ZIP codes, with results expected within a week.

"I can tell you right now, Boston will not reopen on May 4th," Walsh said, adding that Boston was participating in a state task force on safe reopening criteria. The mayor opened the briefing with a tribute to Bobby Joe Leister, a nearly 30-year street outreach worker with the Boston Center for Youth and Families who died from burns sustained in a house fire. Walsh said Boston had distributed more than 30,000 laptops, set up 2,100 Wi-Fi hotspots, and served more than half a million meals since schools closed.

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Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6268 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.