Joint Statement by the Salem Board of Health, Mayor, and Superintendent on Massachusetts’ COVID-19 Metrics Announcement

Earlier today the Commonwealth announced a metric for categorizing communities based on a measure of average daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period. Based on that metric, Salem is in the “Yellow” (4-8 cases per 100k) category, which, following guidance from the state education department, would recommend school reopening in a hybrid model, consistent with the plan adopted by the Salem School Committee on Monday evening.

The City has been monitoring local COVID-19 case data since the outset of the pandemic, including data provided daily by the Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network and the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Daily Dashboard, Weekly Public Health Report, and Daily Reports pursuant to Chapter 93 of the Acts of 2020. Daily data is shared publicly with our community on the City website and can be found by clicking the red “COVID-19 Information” banner at www.salem.com. Additional information is also published approximately weekly in the City’s regular COVID-19 Response Update, the most recent edition of which can always be found at www.salem.com/covid19.

Salem’s response to COVID-19 has consistently been based on evidence and measurable data, and that will continue to be the case going forward. Every decision - from public health orders, to determinations about schools, gatherings, and municipal buildings and spaces - has been and will continue to be based on the evaluation of these metrics. Salem residents, workers, and visitors are all asked to comply with the measures put in place by both the Commonwealth and the City – including wearing face masks, maintaining physical distance from others, limiting group gatherings, and practicing good hand hygiene – in order to help slow the spread of this dangerous virus.