With Covid-19 cases climbing throughout the state, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday instituted a series of targeted new executive orders, including a stay-at-home advisory beginning at 10 p.m. every night, stricter gathering limits and a requirement that anyone in public wear a face covering.

Meanwhile, Martha’s Vineyard health officials reported at least two new coronavirus cases on Monday, as a surge in cases on the Island continues and officials warn of possible community spread.

At a press briefing Monday, Governor Baker announced the sweeping new orders, urging that residents throughout the commonwealth exhibit renewed caution in order to ease growing pressure on hospitals.

The new stay-at-home advisory instructs residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., unless they are going to work or running critical errands. Walks are also allowed, the governor said.

But restaurants, indoor sports facilities and gyms are all required to close to in-person service at 9:30 p.m. in an effort to limit social gatherings and get residents home by 10 p.m, the governor said. Liquor stores and supermarkets can stay open later, but are required to stop selling alcohol at 9:30 p.m. The 9:30 p.m. closure order also extends to all drive-in theater venues, performance venues, recreational boating and cultural centers.

Gathering limits have also been reduced, with indoor gatherings capped at 10 people (previously 25) and outdoor gatherings at 25 (previously 50). The curfew rules also apply to private gatherings, meaning that indoor events have to end at 9:30 p.m.

The governor is also requiring that all individuals wear a face mask in public throughout the state, regardless of whether they can socially distance or not. Previous rules only required masks in public if residents could maintain a six-foot social distance between others.  

Public health officials and local police departments are authorized to enforce gathering restrictions, which specify that fines for violating the order are $500 for each person above the limit at a particular gathering.

The new restrictions go into effect Friday, Nov. 6.

“These targeted measures are intended to reduce the number of opportunities and activities where people gather in groups, and get them home, with only members of their households,” the governor said at the briefing Monday.

The state continued to report more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases per day over the weekend, including 1,139 on Sunday and 22 new deaths. There has also been a steady rise in hospitalizations throughout the commonwealth, with more than 600 residents now hospitalized with the virus and more than 100 in the ICU.

The rise in cases statewide coincides with a surge in coronavirus patients on-Island that started last week and has continued throughout the weekend. Health officials have reported nearly 20 new cases over the past seven days -- by far the most since the pandemic began.

Speaking to the Gazette by phone earlier Monday, Tisbury health agent Maura Valley said that one of the new cases reported Monday morning was tested at the hospital and one was tested at TestMV. She said they were likely not connected to a case cluster that was identified early last week and stemmed from a wedding held over Columbus Day weekend.

Health officials come out with a daily report at approximately 5:00 p.m. Ms. Valley said there could be more cases reported throughout the day.

In a statement that went out Sunday, health officials urged Islanders to show renewed vigilance in light of the recent case increases. The statement said that only five of the 18 new cases as of Friday were connected to the wedding cluster.

On Monday Ms. Valley said that there had been no other large case clusters identified, suggesting that the Island may be experiencing community transmission for the first time. One other grouping of two cases were family members, Ms. Valley said.

“I think we’re beginning to see some community transmission,” Ms. Valley said. “With the exception of the wedding, I don’t know if we’re sure where these individuals are getting it. And that seems to be pretty common now, this difficulty of tracing back where somebody was exposed.”

Governor Baker said that the new safety measures were meant to target social gatherings, which the state cited as a reason for the jump in case numbers late in October. But similar to Island health officials, he added that despite the new restrictions, the onus remained on individuals to show vigilance and act responsibly.

“The intent is to cut down on the transmission that we all know is occurring in social gatherings,” the governor said. “The most effective weapon against the virus, of course, is personal responsibility.”