Baker Administration announces new COVID-19 measures

The Baker-Polito administration today announced new measures to disrupt the trend of increasing new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Massachusetts. A copy of the press release regarding this announcement can be found here.

For MMA’s full story on this new announcement, please click here.

All orders and advisories will be effective Sunday, December 13th.

New Orders & Advisories:

All communities in Massachusetts will return to Step 1 of Phase 3 of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan.

• Outdoor gatherings at event venues will be limited to no more than 50 people
• Hosts of outdoor gatherings of greater than 25 people will be required to provide advance notice of the gathering their local board of health
• Indoor theaters and performance venues and higher contact indoor recreation businesses will be required to close to the public
• Outdoor theaters and performance venues will be limited to 25% capacity, and no more than 50 people
• In all communities, capacity will be reduced from 50% to 40% for the following sectors:
  • Arcades/Indoor and Outdoor Recreational Businesses
  • Driving and Flight Schools
  • Gyms/Health Clubs
  • Libraries
  • Museums
  • Retail Offices
  • Places of Worship
  • Lodging (common areas)
  • Golf facilities
  • Movie Theaters (Maximum 50 people per theater)
  • This new capacity limit will not apply to sectors that do not currently have a percentage-based capacity limit, including restaurants, laboratories and close contact personal services
• Restaurants and Venues
  • Patrons must wear masks at all times except when eating and drinking
  • Restaurants must seat no more than six patrons per table
  • Restaurants must impose a 90-minute time limit on tables
  • Musical performances at restaurants will no longer be permitted
  • Food court seating must be closed in malls
  • Customers are encouraged to dine only with members of the same household.
• Offices and Gyms
  • In offices, employees must wear masks at their place of work when not in their own workspace and alone
  • Employers are encouraged to close or limit the use of break rooms
  • Patrons must wear masks at all times in gyms
  • All employers are encouraged to offer teleworking to their employees when possible.

Click here to read the revised gatherings order.

Click here to read the order rolling Massachusetts back to Phase III, Step 1.

Thank you and stay well!