Gov. Baker Postpones Step 2 of Phase 3 in Reopening Plan
Governor Charlie Baker announced on a Friday press conference he will be “indefinitely postponing” rolling out step 2 of Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Along with postponing the next step in reopening the state, Baker announced they will be rolling back on certain safety guidances, such as reducing outdoor gathering limits from 100 to 50 people and bars masquerading as restaurants will need to close their doors again, effective Tuesday, August 11. This comes as experts believe the upticks new clusters being linked to large parties and other gatherings.
These parties are too big, too crowded and people are simply not being responsible. If you give this virus an opportunity to move, it will.
Gov. Charlie Baker
The state will also start tracking “high risk” COVID-19 communities, data that will be included in a weekly update every Wednesday as of next week. Right now, the state releases updated COVID-19 data every day as well as a weekly town-by-town breakdown of the virus also released every Wednesday.
Baker also announced they will be creating a “COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team” to help curb the rising amount of cases in Massachusetts, as well as having police enforce orders and issue fines to anyone not adhering to health and safety codes.