(Charlie Baker/Flickr)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Starting Monday, June 22nd, Massachusetts residents will be able to visit their local nail salon, dine indoors at a restaurant, and make an appointment to use a retail fitting room.
According to Governor Charlie Baker, his administration split Phase Two of the reopening plan into two steps in order to "monitor the impact of reopening more businesses."
Based on the continued decline of several coronavirus health metrics, Baker said it is safe for the state to move into the next chapter of reopening on Monday.
"I want to thank you once again... for washing your hands, for socially distancing, and for wearing face coverings," said Baker. "That is how we contain and beat COVID and continue to reopen the Commonwealth."
In Phase Two Step Two, Massachusetts will see several changes, all of which include restrictions.
Indoor dining at restaurants:
- Tables must be positioned to maintain at least a 6 foot distance from all other tables and any high foot traffic areas
- No more than 6 people seated at a table
- Restaurants may not seat any customers at the bar, but bar areas may be re-configured to accommodate table seating that complies with all other requirements
- No standing customers (e.g., around bar areas)
- All other amenities and areas not for food and beverage service (e.g., dance floors, pool tables, playgrounds, etc.) must be closed or removed to prevent gathering of customers
- Face coverings are required for all customers and workers at all times, except where an individual is unable to wear a face covering due to medical condition or disability
Retail fitting rooms:
- By appointment only
- Retail stores must continue to abide by previous safety protocols, including capacity limits of 8 persons per 1,000 square feet or 40 percent capacity, removing sampling products (e.g. lotions and perfumes,) and ensuring face coverings are worn by staff and customers.
Personal care services:
- Hair removal services; including laser services, depilatory salons, waxing services, threading, and electrolysis services
- Massage, body treatments, eastern treatment, energy therapies and other body work therapies
- Skin care services; including peels, facials, serums, Botox and filler
- Nail care services; including nail salons
- Other hair services; including hair replacement services, scalp treating services
- Makeup salons;
- Makeup application services;
- Personal trainers; provided that in Phase 2 any indoor personal training service is limited to appointment-only training with only one customer (or two from the same household) allowed in the facility at a time;
- Tanning salons; including other businesses
Office capacity increase:
- Offices can go from 25 percent to 50 percent capacity
- Employers who are allowing staff to work remotely, and can continue to do so, should encourage working from home
- People in densely populated areas should try to continue working remotely, partially to keep crowds off the MBTA for longer
- Social distancing measures, hygiene protocols, and face coverings are still required
Gov. Baker said he wanted to see at least two weeks of data from the start of Phase Two Step Two on Monday, before he could make an announcement about the possible start date of Phase Three.
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