On Tuesday, March 17, the following open letter was sent to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker by several local and regional elected officials:

Governor Baker:

As state and municipal officials, we are calling on you to issue an order to Shelter In Place by the end of the day today, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Physicians tell us COVID-19 is some 10 times more contagious than the flu, and that 1 out of every 5 people who are infected will contract a serious pneumonia that will require hospitalization.

It is essential that the spread of the virus be suppressed to protect the ability of healthcare providers to handle the influx of new patients and safeguard public health and safety. Epidemiologists have suggested that Massachusetts could see as many as 10,000 cases by the end of this month.

We urge that you follow the example set by the City of San Francisco and other communities in the Bay Area, where a Shelter In Place order was issued for some 7 million residents last night.

By “Shelter In Place,” we mean people must be asked to stay home except for essential needs and vulnerable populations must stay home. Everyone should stay home except to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job. Going outside for walks is permitted, but there can be no congregating or interaction with playground structures of any kind.

We thank you for your urgent attention to this emergency and look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you as we do everything possible to maintain the capacity of our healthcare system and prevent loss of life in the weeks ahead.

Yours in service,

Rep. Mike Connolly
Somerville and Cambridge

Rep. Denise Provost
Somerville

City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen
Somerville

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui
Cambridge

Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon
Cambridge

Councilor Marc McGovern
Cambridge

Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
Cambridge

Councilor Quinton Zondervan
Cambridge

Councilor Denise Simmons
Cambridge

Rep. Jay Livingstone
Boston and Cambridge

Rep. Kay Khan
Newton

Rep. Tami Gouveia
Acton

Rep. Maria Robinson
Framingham

Rep. Jack Lewis
Framingham City

Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa
Northampton

Rep. Nika Elugardo
Boston

Rep. Michelle DuBois
Brockton