QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) – Some Massachusetts business owners said they were glad to get the go-ahead to re-open Monday but health experts said they were worried about the commonwealth moving in the wrong direction as infection rates rise.
Under Step II of Phase III in the re-opening plan, which began Monday, businesses like laser tag arenas and trampoline parks in non-high-risk communities can re-open and gyms can operate at 50 percent capacity. Susan Greenblatt, who owns the indoor play area Kidsports in Stoughton, said she was re-opening but keeping attendance down.
“We have started to book parties again but we’re limiting parties,” Greenblatt said. “In the past it was not unusual to have eight to 10 parties on Saturday or Sunday, but we’re limiting to four parties so they’re spread out.”
Driving schools can also re-open but Andrea Lane, of Quincy Auto Driving School, said she was holding back.
“I do have a class downstairs where I could have students come in but I’d rather keep it safe and keep online classes as long as I can,” Lane said.
Quincy Mayor Tom Koch said the city has gone from green to yellow as cases have increased, but wanted to re-open anyway.
“We’ve got to learn to live with this, mitigate as best we can,” Koch said.
But Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett of Boston Medical Center said she was concerned about the latest re-opening plans, saying they treat green low-risk and yellow moderate-risk communities — like Quincy — the same despite having different risk factors.
“I worry that we’re moving in the wrong direction in making some of these decisions,” Gergen Barnett said. “I can appreciate where the pressure points come from, but if we want to continue re-opening schools we can wait on things like roller skating and trampoline parks.”
Source: https://whdh.com/news/health-experts-concerned-as-mass-opens-up-more-businesses-during-pandemic/
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