Cape Coronavirus: Protesters Demand Region's Economy Reopens

BOURNE, MA — About 100 people gathered Sunday at the Bourne Rotary to protest new coronavirus restrictions and urged Gov. Charlie Baker and public officials to re-open the Cape Cod economy. United Cape Patriots, a local grass-roots conservative group, sponsored the rally.

Similar protests took place across the country this past week, including one outside the New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord. These demonstrations have protested stay-at-home advisories and shutdowns of non-essential businesses because of the financial hardships they've created.

At the Cape Cod rally, most of the protesters waved President Donald Trump flags or were holding signs that read, "Reopen our schools." The majority of the demonstrators didn't wear mask and were not maintaining the recommended 6-foot distance from each other.

Group founder Adam Lange told the Cape Cod times some people were wearing masks and others weren't, but they aren't required. He also argued Baker's order of limiting public gathering to 10 people didn't apply because this was an outdoor space.

"Barnstable County is ready to open, Lange said. "We meet the phase one criteria that the CDC approved last week. We've had two weeks of reduced new caze rate, and we want the Governor to consider that and possibly open up counties that are able to start going back to work."

Sean O'Brien, the county director of the Department of Health and the Evironment, disputed Lange's claim that Barnstable Couny's COVID-19 numbers are declining. He told the Cape Cod Times the number of positive cases increased by 42 in the county since Saturday. As of Sunday afternoon, there were 632 confirmed cases on Cape Cod, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.