Saturday didn’t mark the end of the deadly coronavirus, or come with news for a cure, or even a prediction for when the punishing pandemic might be over.
But the day’s glorious weather offered a break for a region battered by COVID-19, giving people a reason to get out of their homes and just ... go.
"It's good to get out," said James Vey of Quincy. "We all get cabin fever, and you can only watch so much television. And most of it is bad."
Across Greater Boston, thousands escaped living rooms and kitchens for something other than an essential trip to the market or bank: a walk though the city’s Franklin Park or Boston Common, or, like Vey, across the Presidents Golf Course in Quincy with his dog, Lola. With courses closed to golfers, they were a haven for dog walkers.
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"Thank God for the golf course," said Vey, 89, who lives a short distance away, though he lamented that tennis players and golfers wouldn't be able to play as part of efforts to prevent the disease's spread.
That said, those measures are the right call, he said. “We have to observe the rules.”
Greeting those who went outdoors was lots of sun and temperatures as high as the low 70s.
But signs of the public health crisis were never far away: Most who ventured out followed calls by Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh to wear masks and practice proper social distancing, all to help slow the disease's spread.
State parks remained open to the public, according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, though the agency limited parking at its properties to prevent overcrowding and the spread of COVID-19.
The state conservation and recreation department on Twitter Saturday announced it had periodically closed several park properties in Concord, Princeton, Saugus, Milton, and Topsfield after each location reached the limit on the safe number of visitors.
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Spending the day outside would also be an excuse to not see — immediately, at least — the grim tally of deaths and new cases released by the state in afternoon, bringing the total number of deaths to 3,846 and cases in Massachusetts to more than 66,000.
Adam Walsh, 34, walked along a paved pathway at Franklin Park’s William J. Devine Golf Course in Boston Saturday afternoon. It was a chance, he said, to get out of the house and not see the latest news on CNN about the pandemic.
“It just feels nice,” Walsh said.
Kimberly Li, 29, spent part of the day on the Boston Common, where her dog, Luna, played with other dogs in an off-leash area.
Around her, people sat on benches or lay on the grass; people seemed mindful to give one another a wide berth.
Li wore a mask, and noted that many of those around her were also wore coverings over their faces. She was happy to get outside, but believes the reasons for people to remain apart and stay at home are appropriate to combat the virus.
“I think people are trying to be respectful of that,” she said.
Not everyone heeded advisories to wear masks or avoid close contact with people from outside their homes. At Boston's Franklin Park's William J. Devine Golf Course, a golfer could be seen hitting the links despite the course being closed.
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In Newton, Dan Tursky, 27, of Waltham, played ball with two friends from Boston at Albemarle Field. None of the men wore masks, as they played catch and hit balls with a bat within the infield of a baseball diamond.
They said being spread out to play catch created enough social distancing, and if more people came to the park, they did have masks with them.
Officials have said masks should be worn to protect others from the chance of infection.
"It feels pretty harmless, just a couple of friends outside," Tursky said. "We're not putting other people at risk."
At Boston Common, a 28-year-old who gave his name as Carlos played catch with another man who declined to give his name. Neither wore a mask, and as a reporter approached, the man with Carlos spat on the ground.
Carlos said masks aren't necessary if people are separated or while they're participating in activities like jogging.
When told Walsh has called on residents to wear masks while cycling or jogging, he said he'd follow the rules.
“If it’s a requirement, then I’m all for it,” he said.
John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.
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Warm sunshine offers reprieve from thoughts of coronavirus - The Boston Globe
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