Mass. quarantine rules spurs uncertainty in border towns
New rules seen as inconsistent, unworkable
When Massachusetts Gov. Charles Baker last week issued new quarantine rules for out-of-state travelers to Massachusetts, border-town residents in Blackstone, a stone’s throw away from Woonsocket and North Smithfield, were left scratching their heads.
Blackstone Health Agent Colleen M. Strapponi says immediately after the new rules were announced by Baker last Friday she was bombarded with inquiries from confused residents and business owners. For instance, they asked, can Woonsocket residents cross state lines to shop at the Park n’ Shop on Main Street in Blackstone or Hill Top Farms on Pulaski Boulevard in Bellingham – both walking distance from the Rhode Island border – without having to quarantine for days"
How about Massachusetts residents" Can someone from Blackstone or Millville cross the Rhode Island border to buy an emergency generator at the Lowes in North Smithfield for example and not have to show proof of a recent negative coronavirus test result when they return"
What about Massachusetts businesses that routinely cater to Rhode Islanders"
“We had a question just this week from a hair salon in town that has clientele from Rhode Island,” Strapponi says. “She wanted to know if she could continue providing those services. We checked with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the answer to that was no.”
Strapponi said Michael Flanagan, the Department of Labor Standards’ manager of safety and health programs, told her in a conference call last week that Blackstone residents who regularly shop in Rhode Island would be well advised “to find another place to shop.”
“We’re a border town so naturally there’s a lot of confusion and anxiety,” she said.
And for good reason. Violations of Baker’s new order are enforceable with a $500 per day fine for noncompliance.
According to Baker’s new travel ban, people traveling and returning to Massachusetts from states with heightened levels of COVID-19 are required to quarantine for 14 days or show proof of a recent negative coronavirus test result. /ower-risk states exempt from the quarantine rule include Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii.
Rhode Island, however, is the only state bordering Massachusetts from which travelers are subject to the quarantine rules since Baker made violations a $500 fine. Rhode Island was removed due to a recent spike of COVID-19 cases.
Strapponi says the order does include exemptions for people who regularly cross the border for work or school and medical appointments. However, casual trips across the border for nonessential reasons are not exempted.
Since his announcement last week, Baker has clarified some of the exceptions to the rule, saying there are exemptions for “transitory activities” like grocery shopping and banking. But there are still some gray areas. For example, are Rhode Island parents who drop their children off at a day care in Massachusetts every day exempt as well?
Blackstone Selectmen Chairman Robert J. Dubois says he’s also heard from town residents and businesses confused about the state’s new travel restrictions. Park ‘n Shop at 2 Main St., Blackstone’s only supermarket, is located yards away from the Woonsocket line. A high percentage of the store’s customer base is from Rhode Island.
“It’s my understanding that the governor is basically telling Rhode Islanders that they can come in, do their grocery shopping and then get out,” Dubois said. “Although, I can tell you there’s no one stopping the foot traffic from Woonsocket that goes to Hilltop Farms in Bellingham every morning with their bottles and cans.” Dubois was referring to the convenience store’s can and bottle redemption center which is often frequented by Rhode Islanders.
The Stop Shop at 70 Pulaski Boulevard in Bellingham is even closer to the Woonsocket state line. The Bellingham Board of Health referenced the new travel restrictions at its meeting Wednesday.
“I think it’s safe to say that if someone goes to Rhode Island for an hour they’re not going to have to get tested and quarantined,” board Chairman Vincent A. Forte said.
Health officials in Uxbridge, which borders North Smithfield, say residents in that town also have questions about the new travel order.
“What we keep hearing is why can’t these orders from the governor be more clearer,” says Uxbridge Health Director Kristin Black. “For example, what about day care? What if a grandparent who lives in Rhode Island wants to come to Uxbridge to help care for a family member there? We’ve been promised clarification on these kinds of questions and we just haven’t seen it yet.”
Blackstone Selectman Daniel Keefe called the state’s new travel order “crazy.”
“In my opinion this is nonsense,” he says. “You can go to work for eight hours, but you can’t go and get your hair done? So, then I guess there shouldn’t be delivery of the Woonsocket Call or deliveries or bread to Blackstone? That’s crazy. This especially hurts those business that had to shut down all of this time and are just getting back on their feet.”
Blackstone’s Strapponi says she is in weekly contact with the state to stay updated on all the latest COVID-10 guidelines, which are posted on the the town’s website.
“Things are changing all of the time and we’re doing are best to keep residents informed as best we can,” she said.