Waltham Rolls Back Reopening Measures

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham is among 13 municipalities across the state that are rolling back reopening measures after being deemed high-risk for the spread of the coronavirus for three weeks in a row.

Waltham moved back from phase 3, step 2 to phase 3, step 1 on Monday.

The rollback means gyms, libraries and museums must reduce capacity from 50 percent to 40 percent and some businesses with indoor activities must close.

Adam Healy, general manager at the Waverly Oaks Athletic Club, said the rollback shouldn't impact the club.

"The unfortunate reality for our health club is that there’s no period in the day where we’re anywhere near 50 percent," said Healy. "I wish we were."

Healy said that when the club reopened July 10, safety protocols above and beyond the requirements were instituted, including installing secondary air filtration systems and electrostatic spray cleaning. They also set up 90-minute block sign up times, but even with all of that, he said, the large gym has seen a dramatic decline in attendance.

"The biggest impact recently is the Waltham mask ordinance," he said.

Before that, gym-goers could take off their masks once they were 14 feet from people. The ordinance requires masks to be worn at all times in public.

Not everyone was happy with that the first couple of days, he said, but they've gotten used to it. And he's all for added protection.

Since July 10, when the club reopened, they have not had a coronavirus case traced back to the club.

"Not one, it’s hard to convey that to the public in a way they believe anymore since there’s so much fear surrounding this, but gyms can be a perfectly safe environment," he said.

Meanwhile, at the much smaller gym Grace Clackson owns, she's been requiring guests to wear masks at all times, so that mask requirement didn't change much. The rollback has her worried.

"It really sucks," Clackson said. On Oct. 7, when Waltham was first designated high-risk for the coronavirus, she said she started planning to cut her already small classes.

She recently scaled back to 40 percent capacity inside, but with her space being a fraction of that of the Waverly Oaks Athletic Club, that means four or five people in a spin class. This week she has had to cancel a few classes, and while she has been holding classes outside, it's getting too cold and dark to continue that.

"It's really sad," she said.

Fusion Fitness, like the Waverly Oaks Athletic Club, hasn't had any guests test positive for the coronavirus since it reopened June 22 and Clackson, who has her own health concerns, gets tested every month.

During step 1, outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people and outdoor theater and performance venues have to operate at 25 percent capacity, but with no more than 50 people.

Meanwhile at the Waltham Y, rollbacks mean more cleaning and a few small changes.

"We reduced capacity in facilities and closed the locker rooms to non-swimmers," Executive Director Donny Bautz said in a statement. "We will clean and sanitize more frequently to ensure the safety of both our members and staff."

As of Tuesday, 1,659 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Waltham since March and 79 had died.

Most communities entered step 3, phase 2 on Oct. 5.

Waltham is one of 77 communities in the red zone considered high-risk for the spread of the virus. Two weeks ago, the city declared a public health emergency and required residents to wear masks indoors and outdoors when out in public or face a $300 fine. Last week, Waltham health officials reiterated the importance of mask wearing in an effort to slow the spread.

Coronavirus rates have been increasing for weeks — the past two days have seen more than 1,000 cases each across the commonwealth. Sewage measurements suggest the spike is still on an upward trajectory.

The other communities that have had to roll back openings are Acushnet, Brockton, Chelmsford, Holyoke, Hudson, Kingston, Leicester, Malden, Plymouth, Randolph, Webster and Woburn.

Read also: Waltham Declares Public Health Emergency

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .