BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Wednesday warned that Boston is “very close” to moving into the red category on the state’s weekly map that tracks the spread of COVID-19.
“We are very close to moving into the red category on the map,” Walsh said during a news conference at City Hall. “That could happen either later today or next week.”
Every Wednesday night, the Department of Public Health releases a new map detailing communities that are at high-risk for coronavirus transmission. Towns and cities that are shaded in red have had at least eight new daily coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in a span of two weeks.
“We’re seeing roughly eight new cases per 100,000 people in population,” Walsh said. “We have to keep monitoring all of our metrics and responding with targeted strategies.”
As of last week, Nantucket, Plainville, Saugus, Tyngsborough, Worcester, Wrentham, Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Monson, New Bedford, Revere, and Winthrop were all in the high-risk category.
Gov. Charlie Baker announced earlier in the day that group seating at indoor and outdoor restaurant tables can be expanded from six people to 10.
Walsh said maximum seating capacity at tables in the city will remain at six until further notice.
The state has expanded free coronavirus testing in high-risk areas through the end October.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)