BOSTON – Effective Sunday, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will revert to Step 1 of Phase 3 of its reopening plan, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday.
This will reduce indoor capacities across a broad range of areas and tighten several other workplace restrictions. Baker’s action is in response to an overall increase in new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations since the Thanksgiving holiday that is straining the state’s health care system.
The return to Step 1 will also require the closure of certain businesses designated as Step 2 industries. These include indoor performance venues and certain high-contact indoor recreational businesses. In addition, capacity limits will be reduced to 40 percent statewide for most industries, and the limit on outdoor gatherings will be reduced statewide from 100 persons to 50. Additional safety measures will be applied to restaurant dining as well.
The state also announced Tuesday that there were 3,627 new cases of COVID-19, with 40 new deaths. Since the pandemic began in the U.S. last March, the state has seen 253,649 cases and 10, 833 deaths.
The new measures are designed to prevent infection and viral spread, especially in indoor settings, Baker said. They will create stronger mask compliance, more social distancing, and limits to the time spent with people outside of the immediate household.
“It’s critically important for everybody to understand that the decisions you make every day about what to do and who to be with will have a significant impact on our ability to stop the spread, to make it possible for people to work, to keep our schools open for kids, to build ourselves a bridge to the vaccine and keep our healthcare system strong,” Baker said.
The administration also announced additional guidance for certain sectors including restaurants, office spaces and gyms, to address activities where mask wearing is not possible at all times.
Among the restrictions being put back in place: 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 to 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 percent capacity, and no more than 50 people; in all communities, capacity will be reduced from 50 percent to 40 for arcades and indoor/outdoor recreation, driving and flight schools, gyms/health clubs, libraries, museums, retail stores, offices, places of worship, lodging (common areas), golf facilities and movie theaters (maximum of 50 patrons 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.
Baker also announced new guidelines for restaurants and other venues with seated dining, including: 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; and customers are encouraged to dine only with members of the same household.
In offices and gyms, office 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.
Baker continued to encourage all employers to offer their employees the opportunity to work remotely if possible.