Charlie Baker says Massachusetts could lift coronavirus restrictions early if more people get vaccinated

Massachusetts could see its coronavirus-stunted economy reopen early if Bay Staters keep up their “enthusiastic” vaccination rate — a strategy public health officials and lawmakers alike said they’re willing to get behind.

“If the people in Massachusetts continue to be as aggressive and as enthusiastic about getting vaccinated as they’ve been, we may have the ability to (open) sooner” than Aug. 1, Baker said, speaking in Danvers on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Baker laid out a series of four dates for repealing coronavirus restrictions and reopening shuttered portions of the state economy. The first is on Friday when people will be permitted to take off masks outdoors in public, provided they’re social distancing.

Baker’s suggestion of speeding up the timeline came hours after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a four-step reopening plan tied to her state’s vaccination rate, which is currently just shy of 49%.

Leading public health expert Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, lauded the “innovative” plan on Twitter saying he hopes it “motivates folks to get the shot.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also on Thursday announced he would reopen on July 1 — a month before the Bay State.

Neighboring Rhode Island and Connecticut have announced plans to peel back almost all coronavirus restrictions by the end of May.

State Rep. Mike Connolly, a frequent Baker critic, agreed “it would be really wise to tie further reopening steps to specific metrics” rather than arbitrary dates on the calendar.

“But consistently throughout the pandemic, critics have asked (Baker) to be more forthcoming and transparent about objectively laying out benchmarks. He’s failed to do that,” Connolly said, warning reopening too soon could leave vulnerable people open to adverse outcomes.

South Shore Health Director of Infectious Diseases Dr. Todd Ellerin, however, warned about the “elusive” concept of herd immunity, but said as long as cases continue “heading in the right direction,” it makes sense to keep reopening the economy.

“We’re kind of in a game of cat and mouse,” he said.

Baker on Thursday reiterated, “If people want to get more normal faster, go get vaccinated. That is the fastest way to get us from here to there.”

Speaking at the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers, the governor announced $2.1 million in grants to be split between 10 technical high schools. The Baker administration’s Career Technical Initiative is expected to be key in closing the “skills gap” and providing high-paying jobs as the Massachusetts economy attempts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3xzlLf8