Coronavirus Prompts Boston To Temporarily Lift Plastic Bag Ban
BOSTON (CBS) – Mayor Marty Walsh issued an executive order Wednesday allowing Boston stores to use plastic bags during the coronavirus outbreak.
The order is temporary. It applies to all essential businesses.
"We lifted the ban because, in some cases, we're hearing that they're running out of bags," Walsh told reporters Wednesday at City Hall. "It's just the ability to get people in and out of the stores as quickly as possible."
In Cambridge, shoppers have been ordered to stop using reusable bags.
The emergency order includes grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores.
Officials said the temporary ban on reusable bags will help slow the spread of coronavirus. A similar order was recent put into place for all of New Hampshire.
There will be no added fees in Cambridge for using paper or plastic bags.