Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Sunday said said he had no immediate plan to lift the city’s stay-at-home advisory and warned residents that strict social distancing would be the norm for at least the next several months.
In an interview with NBC10 Boston, Walsh said the stay-at-home advisory would need stay in effect “for the foreseeable future,” adding that residents would be asked to continue practicing social distancing.
“Now’s not the time to ease restrictions on individuals, meaning individuals shouldn’t be easing restrictions on themselves for the foreseeable future, for the next six, eight months,” he said.
“Wearing masks, physical distancing, social distancing, not being in large gatherings — all of that is so important to stopping the spread of this virus.”
He added: “If we don’t pay attention and stay disciplined, we’re going to see a second surge and that may be worst than the first one.”
Walsh also addressed the restaurant industry, which he said would not return to 100% capacity any time soon. The city in recent weeks has announced measures to help businesses apply for outdoor dining areas, which could allow restaurants that rely on in-person dining to expand their seating.
This regulation change builds on earlier attempts to help restaurants, Walsh said, including allowing takeout for all establishments, aiding them in providing delivery options and expanding availability for selling alcohol and groceries.
“I’m definitely concerned with a lot of restaurants in the cities in Boston and the Commonwealth that might not be able to get out of this,” Walsh said. “We’ve already seen several close or say they’re not coming back.”
The mayor on Thursday said he had “major concerns” about possible gatherings over Memorial Day Weekend, asking people not to hang out on beaches and to social distance when they go outside.
Source: NBC Boston