Framingham is cracking down on parties during the pandemic, issuing at least $5,000 in fines to people who have violated state rules.
Authorities wrote 10 citations at $500 apiece to party hosts who violated state guidelines, which limit indoor gatherings to 25 people and outdoor gatherings to 50 people.
Framingham health officials are also discouraging people from traditional trick-or-treating during Halloween this weekend, deferring to guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click Here for Our 2020 Trick-Or-Treating Guide.
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Framingham is holding low-risk Halloween activities, including an at-home version of the city's annual pumpkin carving contest put on by the Parks and Recreation Department. Participants can submit a photo of their carving for consideration.
"We continue to strongly discourage people to do the traditional trick-or-treating… high risk," Public Health Director Samuel Wong said. "We strongly discourage residents to do that.”
The effort to deter get-togethers -- particularly ahead of the holidays -- mirrors that of other cities and towns as cases continue to rise in Massachusetts.
Gov. Charlie Baker urged young people to "stop hosting big parties" Tuesday amid a spike in coronavirus cases among people under the age of 30.
Baker said people under 30 now account for 37% of the new cases in the state, compared to just 18% for people over 60. That's almost completely flipped from April, when those over 60 accounted for 42% of the cases and those under 30 accounted for 15%
