Gov. Charlie Baker pulled on a mask, branded with the state's #MaskUpMA slogan, after announcing a series of reopening rollbacks and other measures like tightened facemask requirements on Dec. 8, 2020. Photo by Sam Doran | State House News Service
Starting Saturday, a host of new restrictions on gatherings and businesses will be put in place in Massachusetts to try and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Gov. Charlie Baker made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Restaurant capacity will be reduced to 25 percent, excluding staff. This figure “applies separately to indoor and outdoor capacity,” a guide to the changes published by Baker’s office said.
Barbers, nail salons and other “close contact personal services” will also see their capacity reduced to 25 percent of pre-pandemic levels, along with movie theaters and outdoor performance venues.
Indoor gatherings, whether private or public, will be reduced to 10 people, while outdoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people.
Office spaces, museums and retail businesses will likewise see their capacities cut back to 25 percent, along with several other classes of businesses.
The new limits will last until Jan. 10, unless Baker chooses to extend them further.
Baker said the idea behind his newest restrictions, which which will be layered on top of the existing orders he has already issued, is to “pause activity and reduce mobility” for the two weeks immediately following Christmas in an attempt to prevent a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that could undermine the state’s hospital systems.
“Our hospitals are now under significant pressure and we’re heading toward another period, this holiday stretch, where we’re likely to see another significant increase in cases and hospitalizations unless everybody plays a very different game than the one we all played at Thanksgiving,” Baker said. “As a result, we think it’s appropriate to take action now to slow that spread. And we must do so in a way that can avoid overriding our hospital system.”
Christopher Carlozzi, Massachusetts director of the National Federation of Independent Business, called it “unfortunate” that Baker chose to further reduce capacity for small businesses, many of which have “followed the rules and dutifully adhered to all state guidelines.”
“These businesses have overcome the odds and survived despite facing a months-long shutdown, fewer customers, increased restrictions, and higher operating costs, but the new capacity limits may result in their doors shutting permanently,” he said. “The new restrictions will hit struggling restaurants the hardest, an industry already ravaged by the pandemic.”
Baker rolled back the state’s reopening phase by a single step on Dec. 13, lowering capacity limits at many businesses, but that has so far not been enough to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
State House News Service contributed to this report.
