Gov. Charlie Baker announced all Massachusetts schools will close, restaurants will only be able to serve take-out or delivery and gatherings with groups larger than 25 are banned amid coronavirus concerns.
The order begins Tuesday and will go until April 7. It does not apply to grocery stores or childcare programs.
“By breaking up large gatherings and encouraging social distancing we can prevent the spread but we can’t simply transfer a group full of kids from their classroom to your neighbor’s playroom for days on end. We will not be doing our part to prevent the spread if there are a ton of kids hanging out playing video games and sharing snacks every day from one house to the next,” Baker said.
According to the Department of Public Health, there are currently 164 coronavirus cases in Massachusetts. The state has tested 799 individuals for the virus, as of Sunday.