Walsh Sets 1,500 Daily COVID Tests as Boston Surpasses 10,000 Cases

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6272 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

BOSTON — Mayor Walsh outlines COVID-19 testing expansion and $5.5 million in new small business relief. In a public press briefing aired on Boston's community access TV, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced plans to reach at least 1,500 COVID-19 tests per day in Boston, more than double the city's pre-week rate, through expanded community health center testing, a new mobile testing van targeting 150 tests daily six days a week, and rotating surveillance testing of high-risk populations.

Walsh said Boston had surpassed 10,000 cases, reaching 10,241 with 449 deaths, while Massachusetts recorded 70,271 total cases and 4,212 deaths. The city's original $2 million small business relief fund, which provided grants to 561 businesses, is being supplemented by an additional $5.5 million in federal and other funds to fully cover all eligible grant applicants. The Boston Resiliency Fund has raised over $29.4 million from nearly 5,500 donors and distributed more than $16 million.

Walsh also said a new statewide face-covering order took effect the day of the briefing, and that Boston's enforcement approach would prioritize education and support over fines, citing concerns about inequitable enforcement seen elsewhere.

In the full story:

• COVID-19 Case and Death Update
• Face-Covering Mandate
• Testing Expansion Plan
• Small Business Relief and the Boston Resiliency Fund
• Demonstrations and Reopening
• Veterans Services
• The complete report — 1,673 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6272 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.