Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, center, sits between Lt. Gov. Kathryn Politio and Gov. Charlie Baker, right, at a January 2019 event. State House News Service Photo / File

It appears that construction bans in Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown, Walpole and Boston will stay in place, for now.

Gov. Charlie Baker said in a Thursday afternoon press conference that local officials had to be satisfied they had the capacity to enforce safe work sites that lower the chance workers will spread COVID-19 to each other.

“In the guidelines that we issued, one of the things we said was that the act of overseeing and enforcing this has to be done at the municipal level for municipally permitted work,” Baker said. “Boston and other municipalities have said – and it’s a fair point – they don’t think they’re in position at this point to do the work to ensure those guidelines were being adhered to on projects that are underway or planed.”

Baker said he’s “very sympathetic” to Walsh’s point of view. In response to a reporter’s question if he would defer to local officials who feel they can’t meet social distancing and hygiene standards, Baker replied “[f]or the most part. Depends upon, I mean if they’ve got a legitimate issue, yes.”

Baker’s chief legal council Robert Ross had issued guidance Wednesday, cheered by commercial development trade group NAIOP-MA, appearing to overturn local construction bans.

The letter includes example safety guidelines used on state construction projects. The guidelines ban interactions like handshakes and require all workers to wear gloves onsite at all times and screened privately by a “medical professional” before being allowed to work indoors or in a confined space.

Walsh responded later that day saying Boston was working with construction firms and trade unions to develop site safety plans, and that the city’s ban on city-permitted construction projects would remain in force “until further notice.” Certain projects, like the Green Line Extension or those overseen by Massport, are not covered by the ban.

“The safety and health of construction workers and all residents of Boston is my first priority, and I am not willing to put that at risk as the virus spreads throughout our communities,” Walsh said. “Large gatherings such as those at construction sites have been proven to escalate the spread of the virus, and Boston must do everything in its power to flatten the curve, and stop the spread of coronavirus.”

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone tweeted Wednesday evening that his city’s freeze would also stay in place.

“Some times you have to put down your foot & say no,” he said.

An official city announcement said that despite earlier city efforts to keep construction going using site-specific safety plans, “[u]pon review of those plans and through spot site checks, we discovered we could not at this time control for every factor to ensure safe social distancing and other health and safety guidelines, particularly due to Somerville’s dense urban environment.”

Many in the development industry fear buildings, particularly affordable housing projects, could lose their financing thanks to the ban.