North Shore Leaders May 'Restrict Unnecessary Indoor Activities'

SALEM, MA — Municipal and health officials from nine North Shore communities issued a joint statement on Wednesday saying that while they are deferring additional regional coronavirus restrictions at this time, they may "restrict unnecessary indoor activities" if virus cases in Essex County continue to rise.

Officials from Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott issued the statement in which they said they "strongly encourage" residents to avoid any non-essential, in-person activities for the "next several weeks."

The statement said the leaders have met with officials from North Shore Medical Center and Beverly Hospital to review data and discuss hospital capacity. They also discussed whether there should be "further roll backs to help reduce the post-holiday spread of the virus."

"We are particularly troubled about impacts to our hardworking residents in the health care workforce," the statement said. "With little remaining capacity at our region's hospitals, everyone is negatively affected, even if the reason for your hospital visit is not COVID-related."

The statement said "North Shore local leaders are deferring taking additional actions on rollbacks" but that they will continue to monitor case counts and hospital capacity and will take regional action, if necessary.

"Should case numbers rise, several communities in the region are prepared to restrict unnecessary indoor activities that may contribute to the spread of the virus," the statement said.

Officials said even without restrictions, the municipal and health officials "strongly encourage all residents of the region to avoid non-essential, in-person activities with people not part of your household for the next several weeks.

"Even with reduced-occupancy restrictions, these non-essential activities during a time period of rapidly rising community transmission should be avoided if at all possible.

"The next several weeks are crucial to our collective health as a region."

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Gov. Charlie Baker indicated at his Monday news conference that he would address whether or not to extend the current capacity reductions — which are set to expire on Sunday — this week.

The Salem Board of Health was set to have a meeting last week to consider going back to the start of phase 2 of reopening — which would have closed gyms, fitness centers, theaters, museums and possibly suspended indoor dining — but the meeting was canceled "to allow the Board the opportunity to gather additional information and discuss collaborative regional strategies with neighboring cities and towns."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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