Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is scheduled to hold a media availability on Friday afternoon.
He is scheduled to speak at 1:30 p.m. from Assawompset Pond in Middleborough. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Loon Pond Lodge at Ted Williams Camp in Lakeville.
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Baker is also expected to face questions Friday about the state's continued reopening from the coronavirus shutdowns.
The governor acknowledged Thursday he needs to make a decision "soon" on whether to extend a temporary ban on evictions and foreclosures, but did not indicate which way he's leaning, as he announced another $20 million in funding for homelessness prevention and other community aid.
Baker also reiterated his opposition to a bill that would limit local law enforcement interaction with federal immigration officials, voiced concerns about declining access to Centers for Disease Control data, and said his order requiring face coverings in public would remain in effect until the end of the state of emergency.
He said Thursday that Massachusetts has made "considerable progress" in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the seven-day positive test rate of about 1.7 percent is about one-twentieth what it was in mid-April.
Baker thanked Massachusetts residents for their role in helping to contain the virus and said they should continue to wear masks or other face coverings when out in public.
Cases continue to surge in many states across the country, though, and Baker again stressed the importance of Massachusetts residents remaining committed to precautions that limit the virus's spread.
The governor did not answer directly when asked if he supports newly filed legislation that would enshrine in statute several requirements he established by executive order, such as a mandate to wear face coverings in public. He instead spoke generally about the importance of masks and other facial coverings.
"That order is going to remain in place until we don't have an emergency," Baker said. "If people want to engage in a discussion about masks as they relate to COVID, my view is: masks are a fundamental part of how we contain and fight the virus, and we believe the proposal we put in place, which gives locals the ability to also enforce this order with a variety of means and mechanisms available to them, has worked enormously effectively."
With a potential heat wave heading for New England this weekend and into next week, Gov. Charlie Baker urged Massachusetts residents to "stay vigilant" Thursday.
After the White House shifted federal guidelines on data reporting, public information on the availability of hospital beds began disappearing from the Centers from Disease Control website.
Baker said he is concerned both about a "sudden increase in the number of elements" federal officials want states to report and what looks to be movement away from the CDC, which he described as a "source of truth" amid the pandemic.
"Many of us believe that that is, in fact, where that data should be gathered -- we should be chasing data based on protocols and rules and definitions that have been part of the way the CDC has done this forever," Baker said.
The change, he said, "sets us up for a situation where it's going to be very hard to understand what truth actually is."
State House News Service contributed to this report.
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Gov. Baker to Hold Media Availability Friday - NBC10 Boston
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