Information available to date regarding COVID-19 indicates that the highest risk population includes older adults and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions. Executive Branch employees feeling sick with fever or flu symptoms should not come into work.Alternatively, Executive Branch employees are encouraged to participate remotely. Additionally, Executive Branch employees should not attend external work-related conferences, seminars or events.Meeting organizers are strongly encouraged to utilize alternatives like conference calls, WebEx and other group communication tools.
Conferences, seminars and other discretionary gatherings, scheduled and hosted by Executive Branch agencies involving external parties, are to be held virtually or cancelled. Regular internal business shall continue, including but not limited to mandated public hearings and board meetings.Executive Branch employees are also strongly encouraged to avoid any personal international travel. All work-related travel, both foreign and domestic, is to be discontinued until further notice.The guidance for Executive Branch employees goes into effect on Wednesday, March 11, and will be revisited in 30 days or sooner as circumstances dictate. “Our state agencies will continue to coordinate daily with health care professionals, educational institutions and federal and local partners on preparedness efforts for COVID-19.” “Our Administration believes it is important to start taking additional actions now to mitigate spread based on the information we have available, including issuing the enhanced guidance for Executive Branch employees which prohibits nearly all work-related travel, limits or cancels large events, and encourages teleworking where it is appropriate,” said Lt. We are also urging older adults and those with health issues to avoid large crowds and large events.” I urge employers and other large organizations to follow our example and limit or eliminate non-essential travel, limit or eliminate large events where possible, and explore telework where appropriate for your organization. “We will continue planning and preparing to mitigate the spread of this disease, and have issued new guidance for Executive Branch employees in the Commonwealth.
“Today, I have declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts to further support our response to Coronavirus,” said Governor Charlie Baker. Regular internal government business will continue, and these new measures complement other precautions that have been put in place in recent days encouraging proper self-care and hygiene and increasing cleaning and sanitizing of Executive Branch buildings and offices. This includes discontinuing all out-of-state work-related travel, canceling or virtually holding conferences, seminars, and other discretionary gatherings, informing employees not to attend external work-related conferences, seminars, or events, reminding employees feeling sick with fever or flu symptoms to not come into work, and encouraging high risk employees to talk with their supervisors to review possible alternative work assignments. The Baker-Polito Administration also announced new guidance for Executive Branch employees in order to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. BOSTON - Today Governor Charlie Baker declared a State of Emergency in Massachusetts to support the Commonwealth’s response to the outbreak of Coronavirus.