N. Brookfield plans Fourth festivities
Ignoring Gov. Baker’s orders
Leaders of a Worcester County town vow that they’re moving ahead with a Fourth of July celebration that defies the Massachusetts coronavirus reopening plan, but local health officials hope the state will step in to cancel the event.
While cities and towns across the Bay State call off holiday gatherings, North Brookfield is planning a Fourth of July parade, daylong activities on the town common, music, food, drinks and a patriotic laser light show at night.
The Massachusetts reopening plan does not allow these types of group celebrations until Phase 4, which will not happen until there’s a coronavirus vaccine and/or treatments. But members of the Board of Selectmen said they’re not waiting, and are moving ahead with the patriotic event against the state’s order.
“I and the Board of Selectmen collectively do not think that this is the problem that other people are saying,” Selectmen Chairman Dale Kiley said at a recent meeting, noting that the small town has only had 16 confirmed cases of coronavirus and adding, “Getting the virus is not a death sentence.”
“If Black Lives Matter can protest down the center of Main Street, on a sidewalk, all on top of each other and congregate on a church common, all on top of each other, then the people of North Brookfield can march separated down Main Street onto the town common,” Kiley said.
But the Board of Health is urging the Board of Selectmen to reverse course and nix the Fourth of July event.
These public gatherings pose serious health risks for residents and are in direct opposition to state guidance, said Board of Health member Ethan Melad.
“We’re hoping this event doesn’t happen,” Melad told the Herald on Tuesday. “At this point, we’re hoping the state will step in with some sort of action.”
Gov. Charlie Baker at his Tuesday press briefing said the Department of Public Health has contacted the selectmen about the state’s concerns.
“Large gatherings come with consequences, OK, and I think it’s our hope that most folks don’t do the big, large Fourth of July gatherings,” Baker said. “And for the most part across the commonwealth, they’re not. And those are obviously in violation of many of our gathering rules, and I would hope that North Brookfield would take the same position.”
Anisha Chakrabarti, deputy communications director of the Baker administration, said in a statement, “The state’s reopening plan and emergency orders do not permit street festivals, agricultural festivals, and other large group celebrations until Phase IV due to the high risk of transmission these events pose and the Department of Public Health has reached out to the Board of Selectmen to offer advice on options for safer ways to publicly mark the Fourth of July this weekend.”