Walsh worried protests could spark coronavirus
City handed out masks
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh voiced concern Sunday that the ongoing protests over the recent death of a black man at the hands of police could contribute to a second wave of the deadly coronavirus.
“Obviously we’re seeing some numbers go down in Boston when it comes to COVID,” Walsh said on WCVB’s “On the Record” Sunday. “But my concern is we’re going to see a second large surge in particular because of protests.”
Walsh said the city has handed out “thousands of masks” to protesters who have taken to the streets to call for change in the days since Minneapolis black man George Floyd died when a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.
The mayor pledged to work on “real, structural change in government and structural change in society” to address systemic racism and to close opportunity gaps for black people.
“This is time for all of us to roll our sleeves up and collectively work together and have really difficult conversations that might not be comfortable,” Walsh said.
But he expressed concern that the protests have overtaken news coverage of the coronavirus, which is still circulating through Boston and Massachusetts though cases and hospitalizations have declined. He said people “need to refocus a little bit” on the coronavirus “because it’s serious and it’s still taking people’s lives.”
“Everyone’s talking about the second surge that could be bigger and that will have long-lasting impacts as well in our society,” Walsh said.
Walsh’s fears of a second spike come as the state moves Monday into the second phase of its reopening process, in which restaurants can resume outdoor dining, retail stores can reopen with occupancy restrictions, hotels can resume accepting guests, and child care centers can reopen.
Walsh offered little insight into whether Boston’s Phase 2 will look any different than the rest of the state’s. During Phase 1, Walsh kept offices closed for an extra week. He said Sunday the city is looking at how to safely move forward with day cares and camps and is helping restaurants expand outdoor seating.
“I think what we’re going to see in Boston is a lot different look and feel for restaurants eventually with having a lot more outdoor dining,” Walsh said.
He also spoke of the staggering economic ramifications of the virus, saying the city would have to cut some $60 million to $80 million from its budget.