As Spring Begins, Brigham & Women's Doctor Says People Should Keep 'Socializations To Small Numbers'
BOSTON (CBS) – The warm weather is encouraging more people to dine out and to see friends. As the state begins to ease restrictions on restaurants, a Boston doctor worries a spike in coronavirus cases could follow.
As the temperatures rise, so do the wait times at Coppersmith in South Boston.
"Every single table is packed. We feel great, we feel awesome," said their general manager Sheila Senate.
Senate is happy to be back in business after the pandemic forced Coppersmith and many other establishments to close their doors.
Tyson Bridges and his friends secured a table a week in advance.
"I feel like things are starting to get back to normal," said Bridges.
Coppersmith was filled with patrons Saturday enjoying the warm weather and March Madness basketball – even if they had a 90-minute limit.
"I don't feel as nervous anymore going out, but I wasvery lucky getting vaccinated because I work in healthcare," said Nicole Downey. "It's very nice to be able to do this again. We couldn't do this a month ago!"
But those who haven't been vaccinated yet shouldn't let their guards down, according to Brigham and Women's Hospital's Dr. Abraar Karan.
"Some of the frontline workers who are working at restaurants that we're going to haven't been vaccinated and we need to protect those people," said Dr. Karan. "Until we get more vaccinated, the slower we reopen the better because otherwise, we run the risk of reversing some of these trends."
He's encouraging people to avoid indoor dining altogether.
That's why Sarah Langell opted for a table on the roof deck for her 24th birthday.
"It feels safer to be outside and we're also spaced apart, so it's nice in the warm weather to be outside and to hang out with my family," she said.
Even though more people are getting vaccinated every day, Dr. Karan told WBZ-TV people still have to wear a mask and stay away from crowded spaces.
"The best thing to do is keep your socializations to small numbers, avoid indoor public crowding as much as possible."
