BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Despite spending three weeks out of the red zone on the state's COVID-19 map, Boston will not be moving to Step Two of Phase Three of the reopening plan yet.
Due to an upward trend in the state's coronavirus test numbers and hospitalizations, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Wednesday the City of Boston will remain in Step One of Phase Three over the coming weeks.
"As a community, we face the collective risk of surges in cases happening over the winter, so we have to work to keep that down," Mayor Walsh said. "We're seeing what it looks like at hospitals in other parts of the country right now, and we have the power... individually to prevent this from happening here, but we must continue to work together to keep those numbers down."
As part of the effort to keep Boston's coronavirus rates down, Mayor Walsh urged residents to spend Thanksgiving with members of their immediate household, and to reconsider any plans to visit others.
Walsh said anyone who will be gathering together should wear masks unless eating and drinking, maintain social distance, and keep windows open for ventilation if possible.
By staying in Step One of Phase Three, Boston's indoor performance venues, roller skating rinks, trampoline parks, obstacle courses, laser tag and escape rooms will remain closed.
The state lists any communities still in Step One of Phase Three as "Not Designated Low Risk." More than a dozen Massachusetts municipalities are still in Step One of Phase Three, including Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Woburn, Attleboro, Brockton, Framingham, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lynn, Methuen and Springfield.
Lower-risk communities have been permitted to move into Step Two of Phase Three of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan since October 5th.
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(Photo: Karyn Regal/WBZ NewsRadio)