Thousands of businesses and recreational facilities will be allowed to resume services beginning Monday.
As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward around the state, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Saturday that thousands of businesses and recreational facilities would be allowed to resume services beginning Monday, June 8, as the state enters phase two of its gradual reopening plan.
The announcement comes with the arrival of summer on the Island, as Main street businesses — shuttered for months and worried about long-term survival — enter a new chapter of the coronavirus pandemic. Some towns, including Edgartown, have already begun planning for a different downtown configuration for summer.
“We’ve been successful in bending the curve on Covid-19,” Governor Baker said at a press briefing Saturday. “We’ve asked a lot of everybody here in the commonwealth . . . to get to this point.“
Phase two of the governor’s plan will allow retail stores, lodging services, and restaurants with outdoor dining, as well as many other businesses, to open Monday, with strict requirements for social distancing.
Retail establishments will be limited to 40 per cent of their normal capacity, or eight people for every 1,000 square feet of floor space, according to the governor’s phase two guidelines. Restaurants will restricted to outdoor seating, with tables spaced six feet apart. Indoor seating will follow later in phase two.
Hotels, which have been closed to anyone but essential workers, will be allowed to reopen as well, under the condition that they meet a litany of safety protocols.
“This pandemic has put a major burden on our economy, and we know people are very eager to get back to their routines,” Lieut. Gov. Karyn Polito said at the press briefing.
Numerous recreational and child care facilities will also be allowed to reopen on Monday, the governor announced. They include playgrounds, day care centers, parks, day camps and youth sports. Hospitals will be allowed to resume most preventive care procedures and screenings, such as mammograms.
The second phase of the state’s reopening comes as public health data regarding the virus has consistently trended downward over the past month. The state has seen declines in its positive case rate, hospitalization rate and death rate, despite eclipsing the 100,000 case threshold earlier this week.
Governor Baker said previously that each phase of the state’s gradual, four-step approach to reopening would last a minimum of three weeks. Phase one, begun in late May, allowed a limited number of businesses, like barber shops, to reopen.
Monday was the earliest possible date that phase two could begin.
Phase three, which would allow movie theaters, museums and gyms to reopen, can begin no earlier than June 29.
Governor Baker, who all along has used key health metrics to inform his decision making, said he will continue to rely on public health professionals for guidance.
“Our health care providers have done an incredible job,” the governor said. “We are clearly on the path to beat the virus . . . but until there are medical breakthroughs we have to continue to fight the fight,” he also said.
“We have a way to go to get to what we could call a permanent new normal.”
Comments
Onboard! Here we go...my one
Islander Martha's VineyardOnboard! Here we go...my one comment. Baker speaks: “We have a way to go to get to what we could call a permanent new normal.” I really wish he could let go of the word PERMANENT and even NEW NORMAL. There is no guarantee of anything in this universe, but the statistical probability that there will be a return life as it was known but a few months ago at some point in my next 50 years is more than highly likely. He may not be around for it, apparently, and again, no guarantees, but it is hard to imagine that the word PERMANENT is the actual word that ought to have been chosen - and no question it was chosen carefully. It may be a year, it may be two years, it may be five - but permanent is forever. Long after all of us, our children, grandchildren, and their grandchildren will have died. It's a frightening sentiment and uncalled for when reassuring his constituents. It almost comes close to sounding like a threat, but is said out of caution, not malice.
Islander, fighting one's way
Lorraine EdgartownIslander, fighting one's way through political jargon is mind bendingly tedious. A permanent new normal is jargon....what is permanent is death and taxes, as we know there is nothing as permanent as a temporary tax. But, then, I believe I just defined it, did I not?
The island is demographically
Mike Cunningham EdgartownThe island is demographically different from the rest of MA, already clusters of people from out of state are walking around town with no masks, the indigenous population is being sacrificed for the sake of one lousy season, a tally will be taken and those responsable will have to answer for it this winter.
This "new normal" the
Gary AquinnahThis "new normal" the governor speaks of is incorrect phrasing. This is a temporary situation which changes at each phase and each sub-phase. This "new normal" or the rule of 40% capacity of the room divided by the blah, blah, blah. This "capacity" who sets this amount? I've been in stores or restaurants in the past here on MV where it was wall to wall people and a line out the door. Was that over capacity? Who comes up with this stuff? Almost no one reads the paper flapping at the door with the rules of the day "Only one allowed in at a time" or "only three allowed in at a time" and the counter person snapping at the rule breaking customers. It's getting nasty out there. Simply, open everything up as it was in the past and make everyone wear masks.Come on Governor get with reality! Make this the new "temporary normal"! Everyone wear masks and let's get on with it.
I'd disagree. Climate change
Menssana OBI'd disagree. Climate change alone will make the return to our previous lives untenable, even in your lifetime. On top of that, we can hope for economic justice and the decline in rampant selfish capitalism. Finally, as other countries grow their economies we'll be consuming less of the world's resources. All of that adds up to a future better than what we've had to date. After all, it wasn't until the 50's that the GDP became dependent on consumer spending. Growth at 5% a year? What part of 1.05 to the nth power equals infinity don't people understand? Rober Heinlein wrote that in spite of the rarity of times and places where humans could lead a comfortable life, the remainder of existence was called "falling on hard times".
I see no difference with the
mike EdgartownI see no difference with the take out only policy nonsense, and outdoor dining.......this governor has bankrupt the restaurant and tourism industry. hardware stores are open to come in, as are supermarkets....but not your restaurants?
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