Baker weighs extending closures; virus deaths rise by 137
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he’s weighing whether to extend the state of emergency beyond May 4 to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Whether to reopen schools is also part of that discussion. The number COVID-19-related deaths in Massachusetts rose to 1,245 Thursday. Three candidates hoping to get their names on the Massachusetts ballot this fall are asking the state’s highest court to ease signature gathering requirements. Biogen Inc., the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Partners HealthCare are teaming up to create a repository of biological samples to help research into treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus.
