Reopening Phase 3 Begins – See Standards and Guidances

by | Jul 8, 2020 | Coronavirus, Infectious Disease

Monday, July 6, 2020, marked the beginning of the first part of phase three in Massachusetts. Businesses and industries that have been closed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic will be allowed to reopen.  Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday said phase four will not begin until therapeutics or a vaccine for COVID-19 are widely available. Experts don’t expect that to be until 2021 at the earliest.  Phase three won’t begin in Boston until July 13. Somerville said it won’t begin phase three until that date at the earliest.  As has been the case, businesses that are reopening are doing so with specific guidance. While the usual face coverings, social distancing, sanitization and hygiene measures are in place, there are also updated gathering limitations.

Below are the businesses that are now allowed to reopen and some, but not all, sector-specific guidelines:

  • Movie theaters and outdoor performance venues.
    • Forty percent of individual theater or screening room capacity; For outdoor performances, singing and the playing of brass and wind instruments is discouraged.
  • Museums, cultural and historical sites.
    • Forty percent capacity; Consider using timed entry tickets/reservations and imposing time limits for visits to ensure compliance with occupancy limits.
  • Guided tours.
    • Fifty percent capacity for buses or other vehicle (such as a trolley, harbor cruise vessel, or duck boat;) Walking groups of no more than 10 peoples.
  • Fitness centers and health clubs;
    • Activities such as Weight and resistance training; Cross training; Yoga; Martial arts; Spin classes; Boot camp training; Forty percent capacity; Equipment (weights, machines, treadmills, bikes, etc.) and exercise areas are spaced out at least 14 feet apart; Distribute hand sanitizer and disposable wipes abundantly throughout the space for workers and customers to disinfect their hands and equipment before and after use.
  • Certain indoor recreational activities with low potential for contact;
    • Includes batting cages, driving ranges, bowling alleys, go karts, and rock-climbing facilities. Things like roller skating rinks, trampolines, obstacle courses and laser tag will open in part two; Forty percent capacity;
  • Professional sports teams, under the authority of league-wide rules, may hold games.
    • No fans

Here are links to additional Phase III information, standards, and guidance