Updated on March 8, 2021 at 2:47 pm NBC Universal, Inc. On March 10, 2020, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency as cases of COIVD-19 began to spike in Massachusetts. In the year since, more than 15,000 people have died and a half a million people contracted the disease in Massachusetts alone. Life, as we knew it, completely changed. Students across the state were suddenly forced into remote learning and many parents juggled supervising them while working from home. People are supposed to wear masks wherever they go. Businesses operate under various restrictions. Public places are cluttered with plastic dividers, hand sanitizer and social-distancing reminders.