PEABODY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The wedding industry in Massachusetts is still struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, and for some, the near future doesn’t look that promising — even with the continued rollout of vaccines.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said on Tuesday that more than 209,000 people in the Commonwealth have received doses of the vaccine so far. He added that the number could be on the lower side because of delays in reporting.
But according to Tammy Messina, the Event Manager for the Peabody Historical Society, the rollout is not enough to make couples feel safe when planning their big day.
“We haven’t been allowed to host any events for all of 2020," she said. "By January we have our first open house, and we normally see about 100 to 150 couples coming through on that day, [but] this year, maybe 20 couples [came] through because people are afraid to even move forward."
As for the vaccine rollout nationwide, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced on Monday that nearly 9 million Americans have been given their first COVID-19 vaccination dose, and nearly 25.5 million doses have been distributed.
The number is far behind initial estimates from the Trump administration, which previously predicted 20 million Americans would get the shot by the end of 2020.
"Nobody wants to have their dream wedding with no dancing, no bar service, and no one being able to socialize at their wedding day," Messina said.
Wedding planning officials are hoping the Baker administration can speed up the vaccine rollout, and address the industry by discussing plans to reopen, once it is safe to do so.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports.
Written by Rachel Armany
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