Reopening continues to be a gradual and careful process in the City of Boston. All across the country, we’re seeing what happens when cities and states move forward too quickly with reopening. Many are seeing surges in positive cases and shutting down their economies again. Hospital ICU capacities are being pushed to the limit, putting people’s lives at stake.
Boston and Massachusetts don’t have to go down that path. The precautions and steps we took from the beginning are paying off, and our data keeps trending in the right direction. We continue to monitor the data, every single day. And we are ready to make whatever adjustments are needed, should we see the numbers start to move in the wrong direction.
That’s why we feel confident about moving forward with Phase 3. We’ve been developing additional guidelines and supports for industries reopening in this phase. We’ve also updated our gathering advisory for outdoor events to be limited to 50 people — which is less than the Statewide limit of 100 — and people organizing or participating in events will be required to follow all the guidelines around face coverings and physical distancing. All of this information, and more, can be found at boston.gov/reopening.
As we move through the stages of reopening, it’s tempting to feel like the worst of coronavirus is behind us. But reopening does not mean relaxing the precautions we’ve worked hard to put in place. In fact, we should be more vigilant than ever. We all have the ability to influence what happens, and we must all accept this responsibility. If we don’t, we are at risk of moving backward and endangering lives.
So these first weeks of Phase 3 are critical — and every single day is critical. Every time you leave your house, I ask you to think about what you are doing—to prevent transmission of this virus and protect your family and your community.
For businesses, that means carefully planning and implementing public health guidelines, and listening and adapting to the needs and concerns of your workforce.
For individuals, that means wearing a face covering whenever you are out; keeping six feet of distance and avoiding crowds; washing your hands often; and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
We don’t know for sure what these next few months will bring. But we can do everything in our power, right now, to ensure we are protecting the health and safety of ourselves, our communities, and those we love. Rest assured, the City of Boston will continue to move forward cautiously, while guided by science, because that’s the only way to defeat this virus.
Hang in there, Boston. We have all had to make sacrifices, but we also have better and brighter days ahead of us. And soon enough, we’ll be back to doing all the things we love, with the people we love.
Stay safe and stay healthy,
Marty