A new overnight stay-at-home order and tighter restrictions will be imposed in Massachusetts as the state experiences a surge in COVID-19 infections, including an outbreak at a church that is now linked to nearly 150 infections.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced new mandates on Monday as the number of new infections the day before surpassed 1,000 for the ninth day straight. New cases have soared 135 percent over the past month.
There have now been 156,385 total confirmed cases in Massachusetts.
There are now 9,254,287 cases of coronavirus in the United States, accounting for 231,263 deaths.
The most significant order in Massachusetts is a new curfew mandating an overnight stay-at-home order between 10pm and 5am, with exceptions for running necessary errands and going to work. Restaurants will need to stop providing table service at 9.30pm but can remain open for takeout.
According to WBAL, the new curfew and other mandates will take effect on Friday.
Gov. Charlie Baker will impose a curfew for the state beginning as early as this Friday
Cases are on the rise in Massachusetts, the result of a second wave hitting the United States
Additionally, deaths are on the rise, with over 10,000 killed in the state by the coronavirus
‘Our message here is very simple,’ Gov. Baker said, per CBS Boston. ‘We can’t afford to continue to do what are we doing.’
The other primary mandates force residents to wear masks both indoors and outdoors, and limit private gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings in public to 25 people.
Gatherings that exceed those limits can incur fines of up to $500 per person over the limit.
On Sunday, Massachusetts reported over 1,000 new cases, the ninth consecutive day the state has reached that mark. New cases have soared to 135 percent over the past month.
On November 2, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 725 new cases, with the state estimating more than 16,000 active cases.
In Fitchburg, a church has been linked to more than 150 cases. A service held at Crossroads Community Church held around October 18 where worshipers were seen inside without face masks and were not social distancing is understood to be the superspreader event.
On October 26, it was reported that 28 cases of the disease were linked to people who attended the church, with that number growing to 35 cases on October 27.
Since then, however, the coronavirus has exploded in the community, with the New York Post reporting just shy of 150 confirmed cases linked to Crossroads Community Church by Saturday.
Massachusetts joins 80 percent of the states that have seen record upticks in cases
The Crossroads Community Church in Fitchburg has been linked to a surge of cases in MA
Almost 150 new cases have been tied to activities at the church stemming from mid-October
Recent services have included virtually no distancing or masks in sight for any participants
‘If you were at services at Crossroads, go get yourself tested,’ Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale stated.
Because of the spike in cases, the church has been forced to abandon in-person services until at least November 8, according to NBC Boston.
The church was forced to close down in-person activities until at least November 8
Those who attended events at the church are being asked by local officials to get tested
Contract tracers have linked another 40 cases in the community to hockey leagues in town
It’s not clear how many people were sickened at the church, as opposed to being sickened afterwards by someone else who attended services.
‘A pastor should think more of his parishioners than having them come together and be that close, it’s just crazy,’ resident Joe Byrne said to NBC Boston.
The superspreader event also isn’t the only one currently wreaking havoc in the community of Fitchburg.
WCVB also reports that contract tracers have linked 40 confirmed cases ice and deck hockey leagues that are playing in the town.
The Fitchburg Health Department is setting up a mobile testing unit on Tuesday, largely to test those affiliated with the two major spreader events in the area.
The timing of the mobile testing largely appears to coincide with the timing for in-person voting on Election Day.
