Baker’s reopening plans are right for the Bay State
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has always had critics from both sides of the aisle and during the COVID-19 pandemic it has been impossible for his policies to make everyone happy. Frustrated business owners have called for fewer restrictions while some citizens demand stricter lockdown measures. Parents are pleading for schools to reopen while powerful teachers unions press for less time spent physically in classrooms.
We have not always agreed with the path the governor has chosen in threading these many complex needles, but credit where it is due: Baker’s latest moves toward getting the state back to some kind of normalcy are appropriate in light of the steady decline of COVID in the community and increasing rates of vaccination.
Last week the governor announced that in response to the improving public health data the state will move into the next phase of reopening, lifting capacity restrictions on restaurants and allowing more types of businesses to reopen, including close-contact indoor sports like laser tag, trampoline parks, and roller skating.
In addition, starting March 22, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the state’s large-capacity sporting venues will be allowed to reopen for spectators, with TD Garden, Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium able to operate under a 12% capacity limit. Struggling businesses will get a much-needed boost from having some fans back in the area, visiting local bars and restaurants on the way to games.
There will doubtless be criticism of these decisions coming from those who favor the most-cautious approach under all circumstances. But Baker has been careful to follow the science when it shows that reopening can be done safely.
He is now bringing that approach to the schools as well, pledging last Tuesday to get all of Massachusetts’ elementary students back into the classroom full time by April, phasing out the options for districts to choose hybrid or remote learning models to meet state requirements. Middle and high schools will eventually follow.
This is a move that is going to be strongly opposed by teachers unions but it is the right thing to do. As Baker said last week: “The science is clear. Kids can safely return to classrooms, where they are best positioned to grow and thrive.”
Baker has not chosen a side in the ideological battle between lockdowns and total freedom, but has carefully phased reopening in and out based on the actual disease metrics and not political rhetoric. In the winter, this earned him the ire of his fellow Republicans, many of whom favored the wide open approach of Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But, as they did last summer, these latest reopening measures will doubtless now anger those who feel the state should remain entirely locked down until COVID-19 is fully eradicated.
In this case, the governor’s approach is correct. In following the science and allowing reopening over the next few months, the governor is making the right decision for the commonwealth, and his commitment to following through is to be applauded.