BRENT B. BEAN II
WESTFIELD – Gov. Charlie Baker this week restricted the number of customers allowed in stores, but City Council President Brent B. Bean II said his order is not strict enough and criticized the city’s lack of proactivity ahead of the order.
The new order limits the number of customers in a store to 40 percent of its total capacity, including employees. Bean said it should be far less, especially because some city stores are very large.
“Some of our stores have a capacity of 1,500 or 1,800,” he said. “In my mind, this [restriction] doesn’t do what it’s intended to do.”
Bean said he began discussions with other city leaders two weeks ago, urging for the limitation of customers in stores. He said his strong suggestions were largely ignored.
“We could have done this sooner, without state guidelines,” said Bean.
Now that Baker has placed the order, cities and towns must abide by them and cannot add local restrictions.
“The Department of Public Health says 40 percent. The governor ordered it. That decision cannot be added to by local boards of health,” Bean said.
Bean said he wished that the city acted sooner.
“I am very disappointed in how we handled the issues of grocery and box stores,” he said, adding that some stores began their own strict customer restrictions ahead of the order.
“Some stores did this on their own,” he said. “I believe Home Depot is only allowing 100 shoppers at a time.”
Bean said not only is restricting customers a good practice for customer health, but it also protects the essential employees.
Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr. said city stores not in compliance with the order would be subject to police enforcement.
“The police will enforce it, but just like with me during an emergency, the authority is the Board of Health,” said Humason.
Emergency Management Director Jim Wiggs said the city would comply with the governor’s orders.
