Gov. Charlie Baker addresses reporters at a State House press conference on June 19, 2020. Photo by Chris Van Buskirk | State House News Service/File
Restaurants that have been serving patrons on patios and sidewalks for the past two weeks are now able to welcome diners indoors beginning today as Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday that he was triggering the next stage of his economic reopening plan.
In the midst of a heat wave, no less.
Baker, at a State House press conference, also said offices would be able to bring back to work more employees and increase their capacity from one quarter to 50 percent of their workforce. And close-contact personal services offered at nail salons, massage and tattoo parlors and personal training can resume on June 22.
The progress through the phases of the Baker’s administration’s reopening strategy comes as Massachusetts has continued to see downward trends in hospitalizations, which are now under 1,000, and positive test rates, which have fallen to 2.3 percent.
“Reopening Massachusetts is working,” Baker said. “Business is coming back, people are regaining that sense of purpose that was lost. I know it can’t happen fast enough, but people in Massachusetts are proving that we can reopen and continue to bring the fight to the virus when we all do our part.”
Baker, however, urged people to continue to socially distance, wear masks and practice proper hygiene, and said if people can still work from home they should “for a little longer” to limit crowding on public transit. He said he was leaving the current work-from-home structure for executive branch government employees in place.
“We should keep in mind that COVID doesn’t take the summer off. We cannot nor should we become complacent,” Baker said, noting spikes in cases and hospitalizations in other parts of the country.
Baker entered Massachusetts into the second phase of his reopening plan on June 8, but divided it into two parts. While some businesses have had to wait two weeks longer to reopen than they expected, restaurants were allowed to start with outdoor dining, and are now transitioning to full service.
The rules for indoor dining do not include capacity limitations, but do require tables to be six feet apart from each other and for parties to be limited to six or fewer guests. Seating is also prohibited at the bar.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said the move into the second part of Phase 2 also means clothing retailers can open fitting rooms by appointment.
To assist with reopening, Polito also announced a new $225,000 grant program for non-profits and community organizations to apply for up to $25,000 to help restaurants and other businesses set up outdoor seating and sidewalk retail.
The application process for grants through the new “Resurgent Places” program, as well as the previously announced $5 million “Shared Streets and Spaces” program for municipalities, will open on Monday, Polito said.
