Red Sox legend David Ortiz has a message for the people of Boston during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a video posted by Mayor Marty Walsh, Ortiz urged Bostonians to stay strong, saying the city has always shown resilience during difficult times.
"We are the City of Champions, Boston," Ortiz said. "We have been down before, and we know how to bounce back up.
"Because this is our city and we have to stay strong so we can go back to doing the things that we love doing."
Noting that the Red Sox should be opening their season at this time of year, Ortiz urged Bostonians to practice social distancing.
"It should be opening day now, but instead we've got to stay at home, taking care of each other and understanding how crazy the situation is," Ortiz said.
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Massachusetts health officials announced 1,337 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 13,837.
The majority of those positive cases continue to be residents living in Middlesex, Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Worcester and Plymouth counties.
On Monday, city officials implemented its toughest social distancing guidelines yet. That includes a recommended 9 p.m. curfew, as the city braces for an expected surge of coronavirus cases.
Mayor Marty Walsh announced the guidelines Sunday after the city saw a spike of 511 new COVID-19 cases over the previous 48 hours. He warned that Boston was only at the beginning of the surge.
That guideline is in effect until May 4. It also urges Boston residents to wear a face mask anytime they're out in public.
