BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Wednesday announced that Boston will not be transitioning into Step 2 of Phase 3 of Gov. Charlie Baker’s reopening plan, despite spending three weeks out of the red zone on the state’s coronavirus risk map.
Every Boston neighborhood except for Mattapan has seen its positive test rate go down in the past week, but during a news conference at City Hall, Walsh said every community remains at risk for transmission.
“Overall, the data continues to tell us that viral transmission is happening in every community,” Walsh explained. “Each of us are at risk of infection.”
In the last week, Boston’s community positivity rate dropped from 5.6 percent to 4 percent, and new positive cases also dropped for the first time in about five weeks, according to Walsh.
Despite the recent positive trends, Walsh said the city is making it a priority to keep new cases and hospitalizations down so the healthcare system doesn’t become overwhelmed.
“We need to continue to take cautious approaches to get our numbers going down consistently,” Walsh said.
The city has no plans to close restaurants, as long as coronavirus numbers continue to dip, according to Walsh.
“We remain committed to providing restaurants with opportunities to help them survive and succeed,” Walsh said.
The city’s temporary outdoor dining program expires on Dec. 1, but it will be allowed to continue on private property until further notice.
The mayor also begged Bostonians to limit Thanksgiving gatherings to household members only to avoid coronavirus transmission.
“If you plan to gather in large groups, I ask you to reconsider those plans,” Walsh said.
He also urged all residents to continue wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and eating outdoors when possible.
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