Walsh Reports First Boston COVID Positivity Drop in Five Weeks Ahead of Thanksgiving

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh reported the city's first COVID-19 positivity decline in roughly five weeks on the eve of Thanksgiving 2020. Community positive spread fell to 4 percent from 5.6 percent the prior week, with the daily average of positive tests among Boston residents dropping to 215 from 245, though a city health official identified as "Maddie" cautioned that "one week of data does not make a trend." Walsh said the city had no plans to shut down restaurants "as of right now" but left open the possibility if hospitalizations climbed. Boston's small business relief fund had distributed more than $6.7 million to 1,900 businesses, while the Boston Resiliency Fund had raised more than $33 million and distributed nearly $1.8 million to 17 nonprofits in the most recent week alone. Walsh called on Congress to extend the federal CDC eviction moratorium before December 31, warning that its expiration could trigger a homelessness surge, while the city continued processing hundreds of applications for an additional $8 million in rental relief.