Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker today announced the rescinding of COVID-related restrictions related to the stay at home advisory and mandatory early closing of some businesses. These actions take effect this Monday, January 25.
The Governor has also announced that capacity and gathering limits instituted last month will remain in place until at least February 8.
Here are some details from the Governor’s office:
STAY AT HOME ADVISORY:
The DPH Stay at Home Advisory for the hours of 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM will be rescinded effective Monday, January 25th at 5:00 AM.
MANDATORY EARLY CLOSING ORDER:
The Mandatory Early Closing Order, which since early November has required certain businesses to close by 9:30 PM each night, will be rescinded effective Monday, January 25th at 5:00 AM.
Effective with the January 25 rescinding of the Order, the following businesses listed below may operate past 9:30 PM:
- Restaurants
- Arcades & Other Indoor & Outdoor Recreation (Phase 3, Step 1 only)
- Indoor and Outdoor Events
- Movie Theaters
- Outdoor Theaters
- Drive-In Movie Theaters
- Youth and Adult Amateur Sports Activities
- Golf Facilities
- Recreational Boating and Boating Businesses (e.g. charter boats)
- Outdoor Recreational Experiences (includes haunted houses)
- Casinos and Horse Tracks/Simulcast Facilities
- Driving and Flight Schools
- Zoos, Botanical Gardens, Wildlife Reserves, Nature Centers
- Close Contact Personal Services (e.g. hair and nail salons)
- Museums/Cultural & Historical Facilities/Guided Tours
- Gyms/Fitness Centers and Health Clubs
- Indoor and Outdoor Pools
Effective with the rescinding of the Early Closing Order, liquor stores and other retail establishments that sell alcohol will be permitted to sell alcohol past 9:30 PM; and adult-use cannabis retailers will also be permitted to sell cannabis after 9:30 PM.
Gatherings and events will also be permitted to continue past 9:30 PM. All gatherings and events will remain subject to current capacity limits of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
Phase 3, Step 2 businesses must remain fully closed.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS & GATHERING LIMITS
Capacity Limits: Under the current restrictions that are being extended today, most customer-facing businesses operating in Massachusetts remain subject to a 25% capacity limit.
For a list of sectors subject to the extended capacity restrictions, click here.
Gatherings Limit: The current gathering limits in place since December 26 are also being extended to Monday, February 8th. Indoor gatherings and events will remain limited to 10 people. Outdoor gatherings and events will remain limited to 25 people outside. The gatherings limit applies to private homes, event venues and public spaces.
The governor also announced that 4,757 small businesses have been awarded more than $232 million in direct financial support as part of the state’s COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program.
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