BOSTON – As a result of an increase in positive COVID-19 cases across Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker announced new restrictions designed to prevent the virus’ spread during a Nov. 2 press conference.

Effective Nov. 6, all residents older than the age of five will be required to wear face masks in public. Restaurants will no longer be allowed to have table service after 9:30 p.m. and all entertainment venues, such as casinos will close at 9:30 p.m. as well.             

All alcohol sales in grocery stores, liquor stores, and restaurants will also end at 9:30 p.m.

As a part of the new rules, Baker also announced that household gatherings will be limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. There will be a stay-at-home advisory for all Massachusetts residents between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

"These targeted measures are intended to reduce the number of activities where people gather in groups and get them home. The intent is to cut down the transmission we all know is occurring in social gatherings. It’s our hope that we can encourage everyone to act responsibly and stay away from riskier activities,” he said.

These new measures are to directly target informal gatherings in people’s homes late at night.

“The goal here is to say everything indoors, that’s informal, that’s not masked, that’s close contact, where people are sharing food and drinks on the sofa is the wrong thing. It’s a big reason why a huge growth in our trend has been young people who fall into that category,” Baker said.

Since Labor Day, Baker said the state has seen an exponential increase in cases and hospitalizations.

“If you look at our data over the last two months, we’re up 300 percent on daily new cases and we’re up 145 percent on daily COVID in-patient hospital counts,” he said.

At this time, he said shutting down the economy and schools would not help lower the positive cases.

“Schools are not spreaders, here or anywhere else. It’s been proven now over and over again by real life experience and longitudinal studies. In Massachusetts, the vast numbers of employers, employees, and customers have done a great job. The simple truth is too many of us have become complacent in our daily lives,” Baker said.

He added he and others believe it was a mistake to completely shut down schools back in the spring.

“Schools need to stay open; you look around the world and basically everybody has concluded that closing schools last spring was probably a bad idea. Schools are not spreaders, and it is hugely important for the educational, social, and psychological development of kids that they be in school,” he said.

Enforcement and punishments for violating the new rules would be up to local governments.

“They’re all civil and local communities can enforce them with whatever means they feel are most appropriate. In my own perfect world, they would using the gathering order and stay-at-home advisory as a mechanism to tell them to go home. I think if people violate it on a regular basis or refuse to leave, then the local folks are going to be aggressive in how they handle it,” he said.

Baker also said that the mortality rate was not the concern over the virus but how fast it spreads and the unpredictability of how it will affect people.

“The fact that COVID’s mortality is not that great is only important in the sense that it means fewer people who get it will risk death. It’s the number of people it infects and the incredible unpredictability about how it will affect different people that create a challenge for the health care community and society in general,” he explained.    

With the new guidance, Baker said he hopes Massachusetts residents stay home where they can stay safe and avoid spreading the virus.

“What we’re trying to say here is by 10 o’clock people should use their heads and be with the people they live with instead of continuing to perpetuate this churning of folks, especially in informal settings where there aren’t any rules and people aren’t adhering to the distancing or mask rules,” he said.