BOSTON (WHDH) - As Gov. Charlie Baker prepares to move forward with the state’s reopening plan, health experts and other groups are saying he needs to hold back to prevent another wave of coronavirus cases.
Massachusetts is scheduled to start Phase Four, Step One of the reopening plan Monday, which would allow gatherings of 100 people indoors and 150 outdoors. Stadiums, arenas, and convention halls can open at a reduced capacity and dance floors will be allowed at weddings.
But Carlene Pavlos of the Massachusetts Public Health Association said this could lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“Just as we’re beginning to see what we’re all feeling like is this light at the end of the tunnel, we’re really concerned about moving into that fourth wave,” Pavlos said. “Opening indoor venues and increasing the capacity is just not conducive to keeping those transmission rates low.”
The MPHA and a coalition of 29 other groups wrote an open letter to Baker urging him to reconsider the timeline, saying because cases are plateauing and the state is seeing new variants of the virus, more people should be vaccinated before opening up.
Pavlos said she was especially concerned about an increase being driven by students returning to school.
“Schools can open more safely, following public health protocols, if community transmission is low,” Pavlos said.
But earlier this week, Baker said he’s happy with the state’s progress.
“Our case counts are down dramatically from where they were in January. and our positive rate is down, and our hospitalizations are down from where they were in January,” Baker said “We’re anxious to vaccinate people as quickly as they can. but we’re going to continue to pay a lot of attention to the stuff that’s going on with COVID in the Commonwealth and the community in general and that will inform the decisions we make on other stuff.”
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