Mayor Marty Walsh Asks For Patience Amid Coronavirus Precautions, Parade Cancellation
BOSTON (CBS) -- Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told reporters Tuesday the coronavirus threat needs to be taken seriously but he hopes the city will not need all the precautions they are considering. "I want Bostonians and people listening not to be fearful, but be cautious," he said.
"I would ask all the people to be patient. The last thing I want to see is the economy in Boston collapse. I don't want to see the economy in the country collapse. I want our restaurants to be full. I want people to come to our city. But we want to make sure that we're safe."
In an effort to prevent new cases, on Monday, Walsh canceled the annual St. Patrick's Day parade scheduled for Sunday. He said the decision was not something he did lightly.
Despite the lack of a parade, he believes restaurants will still have customers this weekend and owners should not criticize the move. "You can't complain about this, it's about public safety. It's about protecting their patrons. A lot of those businesses along the parade route have done incredibly well over the last five years. They're busting at the seams on the weekend, I see it. And I think the fact that if somebody is complaining about it, you're being irresponsible as an owner."
As of Monday, there were 40 presumptive cases and one confirmed case of coronavirus in Massachusetts. Of that, 32 have been connected to a Biogen conference that took place in February -- a fact that Walsh said has helped health officials stay on top of the potential spread.
Walsh urged residents to wash their hands properly and seek accurate information by calling 311 or going to the city's website.
"If we don't take the precautions today, then we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. It could be far worse tomorrow," Walsh said.
He added, "I hope it is being blown out of proportion. I hope that I can stand here in three weeks and say it was completely blown out of proportion and we did all this preparation for nothing. But I'll be grateful for that. I'll be happy if I have to do that. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to be the case."
