BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday announced an executive order requiring all Massachusetts residents and essential workers to wear a mask or face-covering in public to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a small group of protestors gathered outside the State House to voice their concerns about the ongoing shutdown of local businesses.
The protestors assert that keeping these businesses closed is not the solution to battling the virus.
“It’s too much,” one protestor who did not give his name said. “Open it back up. Violating the constitutional rights of all these Americans and sadly a number of people are going to die from this disease. No. Open it back up.”
His opinion goes directly against advice from doctors and infectious disease experts that say that the advisory is what is keeping hospitals from being overwhelmed.
The protest continued on under the watchful eye of state police.
Counter-protestors gathered across the street to show their support for a continued shutdown.
“The people here who opposed the shutdown are basically fascists,” one man said.
Similar scenes took place in New York and California as well.
Federal guidelines state that businesses must remain closed until there is a two-week downturn in cases.
Massachusetts has yet to reach that number.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)