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.
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 Phase 3 – open for browsing	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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 (Guidance) 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	Phase 3	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Driving schools	Currently allowed to offer classroom instruction online Phase 2 – behind-the-wheel training	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Personal trainers	Phase 2 – as a close contact personal service in Step 2 Phase 3 – may reopen with Fitness Centers and Gyms	Phase 2 – Appointment-only training with only one customer (or two from the same household) allowed in the facility at a time Phase 3 – Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Saunas, hot-tubs, steam rooms at health clubs, gyms, and other facilities	Phase 4
Movie theaters	Phase 3	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Museums	Phase 3	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Aquariums	Phase 3	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Theaters and performance venues (such as concert halls)	Phase 3 – outdoor only in Step 1; indoor in Step 2	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening Large performance venues will open in Phase 4 following guidance for other large venues.
Large capacity venues used for group or spectator sports, entertainment, business, and cultural events (such as stadiums and arenas, dance floors, exhibition and convention halls)	Phase 4
Flight schools	Phase 2	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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
Outdoor event spaces used for gatherings and celebrations such as weddings, including those in parks, reservations, and other outdoor spaces not designated as Phase 4	Phase 3	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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
Fraternal Orders and social clubs, including veterans' groups	Phase 2 if providing seated service of food prepared on-site under retail food permits issued by municipal authorities, following restaurant protocols (outdoor table service is permitted as of June 8, and indoor table service will be permitted in step 2) Phase 3 if hosting an event in accordance with Indoor and Outdoor Events guidance Phase 4 if serving as a large capacity venue used for group or spectator events Phase 4 if serving as a bar All other uses are subject Covid-19 Order No. 44, which limits gatherings in enclosed indoor spaces to 25 people.

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 facilities including outdoor driving ranges	Phase 2	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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, wildlife reserves and nature centers	Phase 1 – May 25	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Camps including sports and arts camps	Phase 2 – recreational day camps Phase 4 – overnight camps (Summer 2021)	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, with limitations	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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
Other indoor recreation (such as batting cages, driving ranges, go karts, bowling alleys, arcades, laser tag, roller skating rinks, trampolines, rock-climbing)	Phase 3 – Step 1: activities with low potential for contact (batting cages, driving ranges, go karts, bowling alleys, rock-climbing walls); As of 9/17, arcades Phase 3 – Step 2: activities with greater potential for contact (laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, obstacle courses) Phase 4 – “ball pits”	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Sightseeing and other organized tours (bus tours, duck tours, harbor cruises, whale watching)	Phase 3	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
Historical spaces / sites	Phase 2 – outdoor venues Phase 3 – indoor venues	Please refer to detailed guidance for reopening
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 guidance for reopening
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.

• COVID-19 control plan template – Template that satisfies the written control plan requirement for self-certification
• Compliance attestation poster – Poster that 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

Last updated:	September 26, 2020