BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Mayor Marty Walsh announced on Wednesday that the city of Boston will not enter the second step of Phase 3 in the Massachusetts reopening plan.
Mayor Walsh said the city is on the verge of moving into the red zone for Covid-19, which signifies a higher risk of transmission in the state's color code.
"The reason why we're taking this cautious approach to reopening is our attention to data, and our commitment to keeping the people of Boston safe," Walsh said.
The decision came after Governor Charlie Baker announced on Tuesday that lower-risk communities in Massachusetts will move into Step 2 starting on Monday, Oct.5.
Walsh added that the city's positivity rate hit 3.5 percent in the most recent numbers, a stark rise from the rate of 2.7 percent in the previous week. He said that in some neighborhoods, like East Boston and parts of Dorchester, the rate is as high as seven percent.
"We're seeing our numbers go up here in the city of Boston," Walsh said. "We want to make sure we stop that increase before it comes to a point where we're having the entire city shut down again."
As for Boston Public Schools, Walsh said that the shift to hybrid learning for certain students is still set for Thursday, and that the district will only go fully remote if the city's positivity rate surpasses four percent.
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