BOSTON (AP) — Biogen Inc., the Massachusetts biotech company linked to a cluster of COVID-19 cases stemming from a meeting last month at a Boston hotel, is donating $10 million to fight the pandemic.
“This donation will be used to help expand testing options, ease the strain on medical systems, provide training for front line health workers and support access to necessities like food,” the Cambridge-based company said in a statement.
The money, donated through the Biogen Foundation, is designed to help nonprofits in Massachusetts and North Carolina, as well as Italy and other countries affected by the pandemic, the company said.
There have been about 200 cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, about half of which have been linked to the Feb. 26-27 conference.
The company has also provided medical equipment and supplies to Partners HealthCare, the state’s largest hospital and health care organization, to help diagnose COVID-19 in a greater number of people.
Here are the latest developments throughout Massachusetts:
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MAYFLOWER PLANS POSTPONED
A celebration marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival in North America has been postponed because of a ban on large public gatherings in response to the coronavirus.
Mayflower Sails 2020 was scheduled to take place May 14 through May 19 at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, according to a statement posted on the event’s website.
The event was also to mark a multimillion dollar restoration of the Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that brought to Pilgrims to the New World in 1620. The Mayflower II is still scheduled to return to Plymouth Harbor on May 21.
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CATHOLIC MASSES CANCELED
Another Roman Catholic diocese in Massachusetts is suspending all public Masses and other liturgical services indefinitely in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Fall River Diocese, which covers the southeastern part of the state and Cape Cod, said weddings and funerals will still go on, but attendance will be limited to immediate family and must not exceed 10 people.
Bishop Edgar da Cunha called for churches to open for a limited time during the day, at the discretion of pastors, to allow people to visit for private prayer.
The Archdiocese of Boston and Diocese of Springfield had previously taken similar measures.
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ABOUT THE VIRUS
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover.
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