MASSACHUSETTS — Communities deemed at lower risk of COVID-19 spread can move into the second part of phase three of the state’s reopening plan beginning Monday, the state said Tuesday.
The step forward reopens indoor performance venues; expands capacity at outdoor performance venues, gyms, museums, driving and flight schools; reopens more indoor activities; and permits fitting rooms to open in all retail stores. It also allows for increased outdoor gatherings at events and in public settings.
“We’ve learned a lot from watching what’s going on in other states, especially in the northeast region, and similar changes elsewhere have not led to significant transmission there,” Gov. Charlie Baker said.
Communities will need be at lower risk in the state’s coronavirus map for three straight weeks to move forward. The map is expected to be updated Wednesday at 6 p.m.
As of Tuesday, the following 21 communities would not qualify: Chatham, Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Framingham, Holliston, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Marlborough, Methuen, Monson, Nantucket, New Bedford, Plainville, Revere, Saugus, Tyngsborough, Winthrop, Worcester and Wrentham.Subscribe
Here are more details about second part of phase 3:
- Indoor performance venues will be permitted to open with 50 percent capacity with a maximum of 250 people.
- Outdoor performance venue capacity will increase to 50 percent with a maximum of 250 people.
- For arcades and indoor and outdoor recreation businesses, additional Step II activities like trampolines, obstacle courses, roller rinks and laser tag will also be permitted to open and capacity will increase to 50 percent.
- Fitting rooms will be permitted to open in all types of retail stores.
- Gyms, museums, libraries and driving and flight schools will also be permitted to increase their capacity to 50 percent.
Indoor gathering limits will remain at 25 people for all communities, while outdoor gatherings at private residences and backyards are increasing to 50 people.
Outdoor gatherings at event venues and in public settings will be 50 people in Step 1 communities and 100 in lower-risk communities.
“What has been particularly interesting about the summer is very, very few examples of significant spread have occurred in organized, structured, rule-based settings,” Baker said. “Most of our new cases, most of our clusters, have involved unstructured, non-rule-based gatherings — celebrations, parties that have taken place between and among people where there aren’t any rules.”
Cities and towns shaded gray, green and yellow in the state’s coronavirus map are considered lower risk, meaning they have either fewer than nine confirmed cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week span or fewer than five confirmed cases overall.
Communities that have been in the red in the state’s previous three weekly updates will not be permitted to move into the second part of Phase Three. You can see the 15 current high-risk communities here.
The announcement comes even as some coronavirus metrics have seen a slow increase over the past several days. Monday’s numbers from the Department of Public Health showed there are more COVID-19 hospitalizations now than at any point since July 23.
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