To Reopen Or Not To Reopen? Some Say Baker's Loosening Of Restrictions Is Premature

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Updated March 01, 2021

Royal C. Smith at his bar, District 7 Tavern, one of five restaurant owners that established the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition. (Courtesy Max Nagel Photography)

Massachusetts moves into Phase 3, Step 2 of its reopening plan Monday, with indoor performance venues opening and capacity limits removed for restaurants.

But some communities, like Boston and Somerville, are holding measures back for at least a few more weeks, seeing the state's loosening of restrictions as premature. Epidemiologists and public health experts are urging caution as well. But reopening could make the difference for some local businesses.

We speak with professor of infectious diseases and medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, and a professor at Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Davidson Hamer. We also speak to two restaurant owners, Tim Athanasiadis, the owner of Esperia Grill in Brighton, and Royal Smith, the proprietor of District 7 Tavern in Roxbury and a founding member of The Boston Black Hospitality Coalition.

This article was originally published on March 01, 2021.

This segment aired on March 1, 2021.