Boston Rolls Back to Modified Phase 2 for at Least Three Weeks Starting Wednesday

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6484 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston rolls back to modified Phase 2 as COVID positivity hits 7.2 percent and hospital beds shrink. Mayor Martin Walsh announced Monday that the Boston Public Health Commission issued a supplemental order returning the city to a modified Phase 2, Step 2 reopening, effective Wednesday, December 16, for at least three weeks. Gyms, museums, movie theaters, aquariums, and most indoor recreational venues will close to in-person use; indoor dining may continue under existing restrictions but bar seating is banned without special approval from the Boston Licensing Board.

A public health official identified as Matty Martinez told reporters the city has more than 300 COVID-positive patients in Boston hospitals — a level not seen since June — and expects to cross two of its established hospital-capacity thresholds before the next public briefing. Walsh cited the post-Thanksgiving surge, during which the city's daily case average rose from about 125 to more than 500, as a primary driver. Simultaneously, 28 Boston Public Schools reopened Monday for roughly 1,700 high-need students, and the first COVID-19 vaccine shipments arrived at Boston hospitals the same morning.

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Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6484 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.