COVID-19 impact on college move-in week on mayor’s agenda this week

BOSTON — Plan for a more muted move-in weekend come September.

Boston’s annual influx of college students will likely be smaller than years past and they won’t come all at once, said Mayor Marty Walsh.

"Historically, the move-in weekend has been one weekend where everyone kind of moves in -- from the freshmen to the seniors," the mayor said at a press briefing outside City Hall. "We won't be able to have move-in all in one day."

The mayor plans to meet with college officials later this week to discuss move-in day, as well as other strategies for dealing with Covid-19 on campus.

“I think the common theme, what I’ve heard from colleges that are trying to come back to school this year -- they’re going to be doing lots of testing and they’re going to create a space for students who might test positive for the coronavirus,” said Walsh.

The city is helping colleges avoid crowding, he said, by approving plans for off-campus student housing.

"Earlier this month, we issued some guidelines permitting off-campus spaces like hotels for temporary student housing to allow colleges to get where they need to get to," Walsh said. "Each college, university submitting a plan must engage nearby residents with notifications on what their plans are and talk about how a neighborhood can reach out to them if issues arise."

Walsh also addressed crowding seen over the weekend on a Boston Harbor cruise boat.

The Provincetown II, owned by Bay State Cruise Company, was photographed by a South Boston resident as it pulled away from the pier, with hundreds of passengers jammed on to its upper deck.

"I certainly understand businesses wanting to open," Walsh said. "I certainly understand businesses wanting to be successful and we want them to be successful."

But Monday, the city issued a cease-and-desist order against Bay State Cruise Company for violating the state's reopening guidelines. With no tables, and dancing and entertainment, the harbor cruise fell under the same category as a nightclub -- which are not allowed to open until Phase 4.

Walsh says the cruise was poorly considered and endangered the public health by potentially allowing carriers of Covid-19 on the boat to bring it to other people and places.

“And I’ve heard the stories well it doesn’t kill young people, but young people have died of the virus,” said Walsh. “It doesn’t kill children. But young children have died of the virus. It only kills older people. Older, healthy people have died of the virus. This virus kills.”

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