BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh says the only way to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Massachusetts is to take “aggressive action,” no matter how disruptive the measures may be.
“I think we need to continue to take aggressive action now to mitigate the spread of the virus,” Walsh told 7NEWS on Wednesday. “We did jump from 41 to 92 from Monday to Tuesday. In Boston, we had 10 new cases yesterday.”
Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, announcing 51 new presumptive cases of coronavirus, including 6 people who are currently hospitalized.
Of the 92 cases, 70 are connected to a meeting held by biotech company Biogen at the Marriot Long Wharf in Boston.
“We want people to understand that these actions will be disruptive but they’re necessary to keep the people of Boston and Massachusetts, quite honestly, safe,” Walsh said.
Walsh announced earlier this week that the annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade would not go on as planned but that the 2020 Boston Marathon was still a go, for now.
“I think it’s not just a marathon. There are businesses looking at their upcoming large events and looking at their internal operations,” Walsh said when asked about the race, which is slated to take place on April 20. “It’s literally an hour-to-hour monitoring of the situation to see what we can do here and what events should be canceled. We’re going to come up with a protocol today in the city of Boston.”
Hundreds of thousands of people line the 26.2-mile racecourse from Hopkinton to Boston each Patriots Day to cheer on the 30,000 runners who typically take part in the grueling trek.
“The marathon is obviously the biggest event we have every year in Boston, aside from our sporting events that happen in the Garden or at Fenway Park. It’s not going to be taken lightly. Several conversations are happening and will be happening as we go into the near future.”
When asked about potential social distancing policies and restrictions to safeguard against the spread of the potentially deadly virus, Walsh said it’s important to be cognizant of what goes on in Boston compared to other parts of the world.
“We’re working on policies. We have pretty much the entire City Hall team, leadership of the city focused on coronavirus,” Walsh said. “We’re coming up with policies to keep people safe. This is all about keeping people safe. I think that that’s something that needs to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
Walsh added that officials are in the process of determining who is essential personnel and who can work from home. He said there will also be a focus on cleaning public spaces and protecting seniors, children, and those who are at the highest risk to contract the virus.
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