Cases of the novel coronavirus in Massachusetts have been steadily decreasing since the sharp rise in infections that occurred after the holidays. According to The New York Times’ Massachusetts COVID case count, the number of new infections peaked on January 14th with 5,955 novel cases discovered, and that number has been decreasing ever since.
On a national level, COVID-restrictions have been increased to prevent the spread of new strains of the virus. “On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on January 26th. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” explains White House press secretary Jen Psaki. President Joe Biden also signed an executive order requiring citizens to wear masks on public transport and that all individuals traveling to the United States must receive a negative COVID-19 test before their arrival.
Furthermore, on February 8th, Massachusetts residents saw the easing of COVID restrictions by Governor Charlie Baker, complying with the previously specified end-date of limited-capacity mandates. Most establishments were previously only allowed to operate at 25% capacity, per Governor Baker’s restrictions, but many businesses such as libraries, gyms, places of worship, and restaurants were allowed to increase their capacity to 40%.
Although a feeling of hopefulness is certainly evoked by watching as life slowly returns to normal, many people are experiencing a healthy amount of caution and concern. Needham High School sophomore Tricia Soldato states, “COVID restrictions are imperfect. It’s hard as a school to reinforce COVID restrictions, especially outside of school. Right now, a lot of restaurants are letting more people eat indoors, and I’m not totally sure if that’s a good thing. Who knows where cases will be in a few weeks?”
Amid concerns about COVID-19 restrictions being lifted and what this will mean for Needham High School students, it is important to remember that no matter what new possibilities for reopening the state-wide legislations create, there are things that can be done on a personal level to keep yourself and others safe. Despite the number of cases in Massachusetts steadily declining, it is still important to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.