Baker rolls back Massachusetts reopening, aiming to 'build ourselves a bridge to the vaccine'

Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced a series of incremental steps to curb the surge of COVID-19 infections, issuing new restrictions on a range of business activities as part of an effort to “build ourselves a bridge to the vaccine,” but stopping short of more forceful mandates.

The frightening trends in the march of the virus — underscored by the 3,627 new cases and 40 additional deaths that were announced Tuesday — mean the state cannot “simply wait for the vaccine to get here,” Baker said. “We have to do more.”

The rollback begins Sunday, returning the state to an earlier iteration of restrictions, while also adding new rules on a range of sectors. Restaurants, in particular, will face several new requirements designed to further slow the spread of the virus indoors, including a 90-minute time limit on dining and fewer people per table — mandates that drew a mixed reaction from the hospitality industry and epidemiologists.

Public health experts lauded the governor for stepping up restrictions, but said that new measures still stop far short of what is needed to blunt the rapid rise in infection and limit the strain on the health care system.

Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/08/metro/baker-moves-all-communities-back-phase-3-step-1/