Boston’s stay-at-home advisory has been in place for almost three weeks with the original date of it being lifted occurring in mid-April. On Tuesday, March 31, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the stay-at-home advisory for the state would stay in place until May 4. Massachusetts’ stay-at-home advisory is different than California’s shelter in place ordinance.
Shelter-in-place is different than a stay-at-home order. A shelter-in-place ordinance means almost what the name says, “shelter in place.” Don’t leave home, stay inside. Non-essential businesses, such as shopping centers or other retail stores are to be closed to avoid the gathering of groups of people of more than ten people. Essential businesses are still allowed to be open during a shelter-in-place order, which include grocery stores, pharmacies and medical buildings and people are still allowed to go out these places if absolutely necessary.
A stay-at-home order is less strict than a shelter-in-place, but still requires non-essential businesses to close and urges people to stay home and only go outside if absolutely necessary. People in a stay-at-home order are still allowed to go outside to go grocery shopping, get take-out food, and to go out for walks as well. Gatherings of more than ten people have been banned in the state of Massachusetts and especially in the city of Boston until further notice due to the spread of the virus. The stay-at-home order does not restrict citizens from going outside and talking walks, but highly encourages people to stay inside and not go out unless absolutely necessary.
For the state of Massachusetts and the city of Boston especially, the stay-at-home order is important to curb the curve of the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Baker extended the stay at home order until May 4, which means that all non-essential businesses and schools will remain closed until May 4. The decision by Gov. Baker comes shortly after President Trump announced an extension of social distancing until the end of April. Gov. Baker also addressed to the state that harder weeks are still yet to come but following the guidelines of social distancing and following the stay-at-home order will be increasingly important to curb the spread of the virus and protect those that are most at risk.
Baker’s extension of the stay-at-home ordinance also comes after reviewing models from researchers studying the trend and when the virus could potentially hit its surge in the state. The original stay at home order was expected to end on April 7, but researchers point to the surge occurring around that time. Mayor Marty Walsh also warns that Boston has not yet seen the peak of this virus, and issues that residents of Boston stay home as much as possible and only go out for essentials, like grocery shopping.
The Baker administration on March 31 extended the advisory after gathering information about cases in Massachusetts beginning to surge around the second week of April, causing the advisory to be extended. Baker’s conference on March 31 detailed that all non-essential business stay closed until May 4; that the stay-at-home order was extended; that no short-term rentals at hotels, motels or Airbnbs can be made unless it is by health care workers or people who have been displaced due to the virus; that government employees who have been working at home will continue to work from home; that field medical stations are being erected, like one in Worcester at the DCU center that according to NBC will treat non-critical coronavirus patients who need to be monitored; and that a nursing and rest-home testing program will be implemented.
Sources:
https://www.wcvb.com/article/gov-baker-massachusetts-coronavirus-response-update-march-31-2020/31987688# https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/gov-baker-to-provide-update-on-coronavirus-in-mass/2099934/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/17/us/shelter-in-place-coronavirus-trnd/index.html