Gov. Baker Warns About Upcoming Holidays, Rise Of Coronavirus Among Young Adults
BOSTON (CBS/AP) - Governor Charlie Baker stopped short of giving any official guidance on Thanksgiving gatherings, but said he is concerned about the upcoming holiday season. "Household spread, intergenerational spread. Expect to hear these terms a lot this fall," Baker said Tuesday.
"I think Thanksgiving is going to be the source of some interesting conversations, not just because of the family gatherings, but also because it's one of the busiest travel days of the year," said the governor.
"As people move from outdoors to indoors for a lot of those familiar gatherings, people need to be really cognizant of who they're with and where they've been," he said. "If you've been out of state, or around a bunch of people without masks or distancing, you need to socially distance or wear a mask around your family and you should get tested."
He brought several department heads to the stage to check how far the state has progressed since the pandemic first hit. "I think it's important to remember that we are not where we were in March," Baker said.
At the height of virus in the spring there were up to 4,000 people hospitalized with the disease in Massachusetts. On Monday, the state reported about 500 people hospitalized with COVID-19, "which is way, way, way less," Baker added.
He also said "there is no evidence" that indoor dining and other regulated indoor activities are driving the uptick in cases.
Massachusetts residents have taken important steps to contain the disease, Baker said and he urged them to continue practicing health protocols like wearing masks, practicing social distancing and abandoning risky behavior like shaking hands, hugging and speaking closely with each other.
He said the state is much better prepared in case of a second surge of COVID-19 cases, but said there's a rise of infections among young adults. "The 20s and 30 somethings. They do pick this thing up. They are often asymptomatic, but they do carry it, and they will transmit it," Baker said.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
