6 MA Towns Split From State Rules, Roll Back Reopening Further
Six Massachusetts communities are taking additional precautions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, rolling back reopening further than the restrictions recently implemented by the state. The cities and towns will move to a modified version of Phase 2, Step 2 on Wednesday, Dec. 16, leaving restrictions in place for at least three weeks.
Local leaders said the decision is part of a regional effort to respond to rising case counts. The participating communities are Arlington, Boston, Brockton, Lynn, Newton and Somerville.
Museums, movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers will close, but one-on-one personal training will be allowed. Closures also extend to indoor spaces like bar seating, bowling alleys, batting cages and rock climbing facilities.
Retail stores, hair salons and indoor dining can remain open with restrictions.
Other nearby communities, like Brookline and Winthrop, are considering similar measures. The Brookline Select Board will discuss the possibility at its meeting Tuesday night. Winthrop Town Manager Austin Faison said his office supports the regional rollback, but the decision lies with the Board of Health, which meets Tuesday as well.
Massachusetts went back to Phase 3, Step 1 on Sunday, which mainly lowered capacity limits on businesses and gatherings and tightened mask regulations. Arlington Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine said he hoped the state would take it a step further.
"We would prefer the state issue today's advisories, but understand they may be bound by other pressures," Chapdelaine said Monday. "In the absence of state-wide advisories, Arlington, as a dense suburb, will work with our regional neighbors to issues guidance to reduce the spread of the virus."
Arlington's case count has grown at an "alarming" rate over the past two months, with 66 cases in October, 181 cases in November and 169 cases as of Dec. 13, town officials said.
Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone hinted that officials are considering further action, including closing indoor dining spaces. In order to offset the impact of the new closures, he submitted a proposal to the Somerville City Council this week to allocate an additional $5 million from the city's fiscal reserves toward economic stabilization funds.
"To have the greatest public health impact, closing indoor dining needs to take place regionally, not town by town," Curtatone said. "If you can just cross the city line to eat in the community next door, border-hopping will just spur community spread of this deadly virus. Though it's a painful choice, many of us have been pressing for the cessation of indoor dining to slow the virus, and we hope very soon to see broad regional action on it."
Officials in Somerville say they've been left to bear the brunt of the pandemic's impact on local businesses.
"With no help or guidance from federal and state government in sight, the city and our community need to step up and support and protect each other," Somerville City Council President Matthew McLaughlin said.
Newton will start its rollback Friday, Dec. 18, two days after the rest of the region. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said she wanted to give businesses and employees ample time to prepare for the new regulations.
Some 1,845 people in Newton had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Dec. 13, and the city reported 157 deaths as of Dec. 9. During the two weeks ending on Dec. 10, Newton's incidence rate rose to 23.6 cases per 100,000 people from 20.2 during the previous reporting period.
Newton-Needham Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman praised the mayor's decision.
"Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is wise to collaborate with other mayors in the region on steps to curtail the regional rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations," Reibman said. "Otherwise, we're left with a confusing quilt of policies that can literally vary from one block to the next."
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story listed Melrose as one of the communities rolling back its reopening plan, based on information from another town. The Melrose Board of Health has not issued any new orders.
This article originally appeared on the Somerville Patch
