COVID-19 Current Status and Past Actions

Current Orders in effect:

A quick recap of COVID-19 actions to date and where we are:
As the Coronavirus (Covid-19) became a global Pandemic, Massachusetts and the Town of Pembroke responded to halt the spread. On March 10, Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency, giving the Administration more flexibility to respond to the Coronavirus outbreak. On Tuesday, March 17th, Governor Baker closed nonessential businesses and government operations. Also on March 17, 2020, the Town of Pembroke issued a Local Declaration of Emergency Related to Health Concerns Surrounding COVID-19. On March 24th, Governor Baker issued a Stay at Home Advisory. On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, he extended the closure of non-essential business and government operations and the Stay at Home Advisory to May 4, 2020 then extended both to May 18, 2020. On Tuesday, April 21, 2020 he extended the closure of schools to the end of the school year and early childhood education and day care centers to June 29, 2020. On Monday, April 27, 2020 the Pembroke Board of Health issued a Mandatory Facial Covering requirement indoors at any essential business or government operation. On May 6, 2020 Governor Baker issued an Order requiring face masks or cloth face coverings in public places, indoor and outdoor, where social distancing is not possible.

On Monday, May 18, 2020 Governor Baker released the report of the Re-opening Task Force defining a Four Phase Approach to re-opeining businesses in Massachusetts, the criteria required of each business for each phase, guidance documents to help businesses prepare with templates and a Mandatory Self-Certification Checklist for every business to complete and post in order to re-open in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Pembroke ceased to qualify as a Lower Risk Community on October 14, 2020: the weekly report published by DCH (Stoplight Metrics) showed that we have had an average daily incident rate of more than 8 cases per 100,000 residents as recorded in each of the 3 most recent 14-day measurement periods. At less than 20,000 residents, Pembroke cannot exceed 22 cases in a fourteen-day period. Stoplight Metrics were amended by the Governor in November to allow 10 cases per 100,000 residents as recorded in each of the most recent 14-day measurement periods. On November 19, 2020. Pembroke once again qualified as a Lower Risk Community through three weeks of a reduced average daily incident rate. November 5 and November 12 the town was identified as yellow under stoplight metrics, then identified as green on November 19th, resulting in operations returning to Phase II Step 2. 

On November 2, 2020, Governor Baker issued a several Orders, including a Stay at Home Advisory that took effect on Friday, November 6th at 12:01 am; the Advisory applies to the hours of 10:00 pm and 5:00 am during which residents are advised to stay at home unless going to work, going to school, running critical errands to get groceries and address health needs, and taking a walk. Additionally, Governor Baker issued an executive order that requires the early closure of certain businesses and activities each night at 9:30 PM, and updated orders regarding limits on private gatherings and the mandatory wearing of facial coverings. The order also required that all gatherings (regardless of size or location) must end and disperse by 9:30 PM. These Orders were rescinded effectinve at 5:00 am january 25, 2021 with the issuance of Order #62.

Governor Baker also signed an updated order related to face-coverings. The revised order requires all persons to wear face-coverings in all public places, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others. All residents over the age of five (5) years old must wear a mask in public, including outdoors.
To provide information surrounding implications for Pembroke residents and businesses, we are reiterating our current procedures as they relate to COVID-19 and sharing guidance from Governor Baker’s COVID-19 Order No. 51. 

Goals and challenges along the way:
The goal of this phased reopening plan was to methodically allow businesses, services, and activities to resume, while avoiding a resurgence of COVID-19 that could overwhelm our healthcare system and erase the progress we had made thus far. Each phase has lasted a minimum of three weeks and some longer before moving to the next phase. If public health data trends are negative, specific industries, regions, and/or the entire Commonwealth may need to return to an earlier phase. The Commonwealth has partnered with various industries to draft Sector-Specific Protocols in advance of all phases (example: restaurant specific protocols were drafted in advance of Phase 2 and implemented when restaurants re-opened with temporary alteration of premises permits to include outdoor seating on June 10, 2020). 

The only way to stay in a Lower Risk Category is to immediately reverse the current trend to ensure that Pembroke does not have COVID cases in excess of 1.6 per day or 22 per week. The only way for this to happen is for residents and businesses to always wear a mask, always wash your hands, always clean all high touch surfaces, always keep six feet or more of distance from one another, always avoid large gatherings, stay home when possible and act responsibly to keep our businesses and buildings open and COVID free.