Reopening: When can my business reopen?

The following detailed commentary is related to the Executive Orders signed by Governor Baker on May 18, 2020, and June 1, 2020. This document is intended to provide additional information on businesses and activities summarized in the Reopening Massachusetts report.  This is not an exhaustive list of all possible businesses that will be authorized open in each phase.  The list may be updated from time to time.

For additional information please visit the Reopening Massachusetts website www.mass.gov/reopening.

Unless otherwise stated, businesses expected to be authorized to re-open in future phases will be subject to certain limitations and guidelines that will be provided at a later date.  These limitations and guidelines will include a variety of mandatory context-specific COVID-19 safety measures such as occupancy limitations, operational modifications, social distancing rules, and specialized cleaning requirements.  All businesses are required to follow Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards and Sector specific safety protocols and best practices. 

All of this information is subject to revision based on the latest public health data.  Each phase will last at least three weeks, but could last longer, depending on the public health data.  Each phase may contain multiple steps that stagger the reopening dates for businesses and activities within that phase.

Businesses

Category	When you can reopen	Additional comments
All businesses deemed essential by previous orders	Currently allowed	These businesses will be required to comply with Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards and any applicable sector specific safety protocols / best practices by May 25, 2020.
Banks	Currently allowed	These businesses will be required to comply with Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards and any applicable sector specific safety protocols / best practices by May 25, 2020.
Financial services	Currently allowed	These businesses will be required to comply with Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards and any applicable sector specific safety protocols / best practices by May 25, 2020.
In house services (such as nannies, babysitting)	Currently allowed	These businesses will be required to comply with Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards and any applicable sector specific safety protocols / best practices by May 25, 2020.
Real estate open houses	Currently allowed with restrictions	These businesses will be required to comply with Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards and any applicable sector specific safety protocols / best practices by May 25, 2020.
Construction	Phase 1 – May 18	All construction businesses, please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Firearm retailers and shooting ranges	Phase 1 – May 18
Home remodeling	Phase 1 – May 18	All construction businesses, please refer to detailed guidance for reopening (includes guidance for remodeling in 1-3 family residences)
In home installations	Phase 1 – May 18, construction related Phase 2 – non construction related	Construction related – e.g., painting, repairs, etc. Non construction related – e.g., carpet installation, home theaters, security systems
Manufacturing	Phase 1 – May 18	All manufacturing businesses, please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Places of worship	Phase 1 – May 18	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Auto dealers and wholesalers	Phase 1 – May 25 for curbside pickup and delivery only Phase 2 – browsing inside the showroom with restrictions	Follow guidelines for non-essential retail and car dealerships found in the Essential Services FAQ   Please refer to retail guidance for Phase 2
Car washes	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Drive-in movie theaters	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Hair salons / barbershops	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening, including requirement that salons must limit services to hair services performed on the head. Services on the face or other parts of the body are prohibited and limit services to one client per worker per appointment (workers are not permitted to service more than one client appointment at a time).
General office spaces	Phase 1 - May 25 except City of Boston Phase 1 – June 1 City of Boston	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Lab space	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Libraries	Phase 1 – May 25 for curbside pickup and delivery only
Pet grooming	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Retail Stores, including stores in malls	Phase 1 – May 25 for curbside pickup and delivery only Phase 2 – browsing inside the store with restrictions	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening in Phase 2
Casinos	Hotel & Restaurants – Phase 2 Gaming floors – Phase 3 Theaters / arenas – Phase 3/4	Casinos and hotels attached to them should follow the guidelines for each section of the property (e.g. hotel, restaurants, etc.).
Horse racing tracks and simulcast facilities (no spectators)	Phase 3
Driving schools	Currently allowed to offer classroom instruction online   Phase 2 – behind-the-wheel training
Occupational Schools	Phase 2 – for the limited purposes of permitting students to complete a degree, program, or prerequisite for employment, or other similar requirement for completion
Hotels, motels, inns, and other short-term lodgings	Currently open to provide services to essential workers and vulnerable populations.   Phase 2 – reopen to serve other guests with restrictions	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Personal services that don’t involve close personal contact (such as photography, window washers, career coaching)	Phase 2
Close contact personal services (such as massage therapy, nail salons, tattoo parlors, electrolysis studios)	Phase 2 – Step 2
Personal trainers	Phase 2 – as a close contact personal service in Step 2	Appointment-only training with only one customer (or two from the same household) allowed in the facility at a time
Restaurants	Phase 1 – can continue to offer takeout and delivery options   Phase 2 – outdoor seating permitted in Step 1, indoor seating permitted in Step 2	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Amusement parks, theme parks, indoor or outdoor water parks	Phase 4
Fitness centers and health clubs	Phase 3	Including: cardio/weight rooms/locker rooms/inside facilities fitness studios (yoga, barre, cross-fit, spin classes, general fitness studios) locker rooms/shower rooms indoor common areas indoor swimming pools indoor racquet courts and gymnasiums excluding saunas, hot-tubs, steam rooms   See entries on ‘outdoor fitness classes,’ ‘personal trainers,’ and ‘Saunas, hot-tubs, steam rooms’ for more information
Saunas, hot-tubs, steam rooms at health clubs, gyms, and other facilities	Phase 4
Movie theatres	Phase 3 – moderate capacity   Phase 4 – large capacity
Museums	Phase 3
Aquariums	Phase 3
Theaters and performance venues (such as concert halls) of moderate capacity	Phase 3 – both indoor and outdoor	Large performance venues will open in Phase 4 following guidance for other large venues.
Large capacity venues used for group or spectator events (such as theaters and concert halls, ballrooms, stadiums and arenas, dance floors, exhibition and convention halls, private party rooms)	Phase 4
Flight schools	Phase 2
Beer gardens / breweries / wineries / distilleries	Phase 2: if providing seated food service under retail food permits issued by municipal authorities   Phase 4: if not providingseated food service under retail food permits issued by municipal authorities	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening in Phase 2
Bars, dance clubs, and nightclubs	Phase 4
Non-athletic instructional classes in arts / education / life skills	Phase 2 – youths under 18 years of age, in groups of fewer than 10   Phase 3 – people of all ages
Funeral homes	Phase 2	40% capacity limit; one service at a time in the facility
Warehouses and distribution centers	Phase 2
Weddings/events/large gatherings in parks, reservations, and open spaces	Phase 3 - with moderate capacity
Motion picture, television and streaming production	Phase 3	Activities that have been authorized to reopen in earlier phases (e.g. office work, construction) may open in those phases

Recreation & outdoors

Category	When you can reopen	Additional comments
Beaches	Open with restrictions in Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Golf	Currently allowed with restrictions	Continue to follow guidance outlined in the Essential Services FAQ
Golf facilities including outdoor driving ranges	Phase 2
Parks	Services/facilities will reopen in Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Fishing, hunting and boating	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Outdoor adventure activities (including ski area summer activities, zip-lines, and mountain biking)	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Outdoor gardens, zoos, reserves and public installations	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Outdoor theatres and performance venues	Phase 3 – moderate capacity venues
Camps including sports and arts camps	Phase 2 – recreational day camps Phase 3 – overnight camps	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Limited organized youth and adult amateur sports programs and activities	Phase 2 – outdoor only for adults, indoor for supervised youth programs and activities   Phase 3 – indoor and outdoor for all ages
Professional sports practice and training programs	Phase 2
Other outdoor recreational facilities (pools, playgrounds, spray decks, mini golf, go karts, batting cages, climbing walls)	Phase 2
Indoor recreational and athletic facilities for general use (not limited to youth programs)	Phase 3
Other indoor recreation (such as batting cages, driving ranges, go karts, bowling alleys, arcades, laser tag, roller skating rinks, trampolines, rock-climbing)	Phase 3
Sightseeing and other organized tours (bus tours, duck tours, harbor cruises, whale watching)	Phase 3
Outdoor historical spaces / sites	Phase 2
Indoor historic spaces / sites	Phase 3
Cruise ships	N/A	Operating under federal guidance, No Sail order currently in effect
Outdoor fitness classes	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed Outdoor Education Program guidance
Fishing and hunting tournaments and other amateur or professional derbies	Phase 3
Street Festivals, Parades and Agricultural Festivals	Phase 4
Road races and other large, outdoor organized amateur or professional group athletic events	Phase 4

Overview of Four-Phase Approach

The goal of the phased reopening plan is to methodically allow businesses, services, and activities to resume, while avoiding a resurgence of COVID-19 that could overwhelm our healthcare system and erase the progress we’ve made so far.

• Each phase will last a minimum of three weeks and could last longer before moving to the next phase
• If public health data trends are negative, specific industries, regions, and/or the entire Commonwealth may need to return to an earlier phase
• The Commonwealth will partner with industries to draft Sector-Specific Protocols in advance of future phases (example: restaurant specific protocols will be drafted in advance of Phase 2)
• If we all work together to defeat COVID-19, we can proceed through each phase

Four phases to reopening

• Stay at Home. ​Essential business and services only.
• Phase 1: Start. ​Limited industries resume operations with severe restrictions.
• Phase 2: Cautious. ​Additional industries resume operations with restrictions and capacity limitations.
• Phase 3: Vigilant. ​Additional industries resume operations with guidance.
• Phase 4: New Normal. ​Development of vaccines and / or treatments enable resumption of "new normal".

General Business Downloads and Resources

Information to help businesses meet the self-certification requirement to reopen. All businesses must meet these requirements before reopening. Businesses operating to provide Essential Services, as defined in the Governor's March 23, 2020 Executive Order, updated on March 31, April 28 and May 15, may remain open and have until May 25, 2020 to comply with these mandatory safety standards.

• COVID-19 control plan template – Template that satisfies the written control plan requirement for self-certification
• Compliance attestation poster – Poster that customer facing businesses are required to print, sign, and post in an area within the business premises that is visible to workers and visitors
• Employer and Worker posters – Posters that businesses can print and display within the business premises to describe the rules for maintaining social distancing, hygiene protocols, and cleaning and disinfecting

Additional Resources

Mandatory Safety Standards for Workplaces

General business guidance documents and translations