BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced that houses of worship in Massachusetts have been linked to dozens of COVID-19 clusters and hundreds of new cases.
A team of epidemiologists who have been analyzing information on coronavirus clusters since October found that most new cases are linked to household spread and informal gatherings, but recent data shows at least 36 houses of worship have been tied to outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic, Baker said during a news conference at the State House.
“During this time especially, as we head into the holiday season of faith and hope, houses of worship play an enormously strong and important role in many communities,” Baker said. “But our data still found that there were too many clusters and cases that stem from houses of worship.”
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The clusters have led to 316 confirmed cases and 150 close contacts, according to Baker. A total of 48 cities and towns have had at least one or more probable cases of COVID-19 associated with a place of worship cluster event.
Six of the 36 clusters were said to be discovered in the last month. In one of the clusters, contact tracers reported more than 200 positive cases impacting at least 90 businesses and organizations, Baker added.
“That’s obviously a big number but what’s even more concerning is those 200 individuals went off into their own daily routines where they were exposed to numerous contacts at different sites,” Baker said.
Baker noted that many houses of worship have moved their services online or outdoors and he urged others to do the same.
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“This year should and will look and feel different due to COVID,” Baker said of houses of worship. “We can continue to ask all of our faith leaders and residents who practice to engage in safe protocols, policies, and procedures.”
Baker reminded all residents that masks and social distancing are required at all religious gatherings.
“If you’re going to get together with people that you don’t normally spend time with, be safe, and wear the mask,” Baker said.
The governor also announced that the state is not planning to roll out any additional closures or restrictions at this time because the daily positive coronavirus test rate continues to show signs of slowing down.
When asked about when residents can expect a vaccine in the Bay State, Baker said that the federal officials have indicated that it will be “distributed some time in mid-December.”
The state is also exploring the winterization of testing sites to ensure they function properly during snowstorms.
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