As the Commonwealth of Massachusetts prepares to enter the next phase of the reopening plan on Monday, health care leaders from throughout the state play a major role in Governor Baker's decision making process.

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Becomes second organization in Worcester to pledge to redirect one percent of its investment portfolio toward community investment.

The personal stories began taking shape a year ago, backdropped by an unfolding pandemic.

There was much to tell. Stories of heartache, of illness, of death. Stories of changed routines, of working from home, of no school. 

Before long, as weeks turned to months, the stories had to be reworked and updated.

It was a press briefing a year ago on Sunday which started it all.

In an interview March 14, 2020, City Manager Ed Augustus said, "Things are literally changing by the hour. We're continuing to monitor those situations, guidance from the state and federal government, as well as folks who are being tested."

The City had just confirmed it's first case of coronavirus. Thousands would follow in Worcester, millions worldwide.

Many people have spent the last year working from home, but as more COVID-19 vaccines get into people’s arms, employers are preparing to bring back staff to the workplace.

“I think employers, from what I’m seeing, they’re not in any rush. They want to do it delicately,” said Eva Sadej, the CEO of Medbar, a group that is helping employers plan and implement strategies to safely bring people back to the office.

As new weekly coronavirus cases saw a “small uptick” in Worcester, city officials announced the senior center vaccination would be closing by the end of the month.

City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. announced during the weekly COVID briefing that the senior center, which began vaccinating residents on Jan. 11, would administer its final doses on March 30.

The serious lower leg injuries Tiger Woods sustained in a car crash on Tuesday typically lead to a long and perilous recovery, calling into question his ability to play professional golf again, according to medical experts who have treated similar injuries.

Athletes with severe leg injuries thought to doom their careers have managed to come back — the quarterback Alex Smith returned to playing football last season after a gruesome leg break, and the golfer Ben Hogan returned decades ago after a car accident.

Across Massachusetts, hospitals are seeing a dramatic decline in the number of COVID-19 patients as more and more residents get vaccinated and cases plummet.

Testing has always been the first line of defense in the fight against COVID-19. And experts agree that even if the latest surge in Massachusetts has eased, that’s still the case.

“The numbers are decreasing and people are feeling safer, but this is when we need to test further,” said Dr. Kedardespande of the Metro West Medical Center in Framingham.