Baker-Polito Administration directs non-emergency state employees not to report to workplaces tomorrow

BOSTON – Due to the upcoming winter storm, the Baker-Polito Administration directed all non-emergency state employees working in Executive Branch agencies not to report to their workplaces tomorrow, Monday, February 1, 2021. Registry of Motor Vehicle customer service centers will close at noon on Monday. Customers who have appointments for transactions or scheduled road tests Monday afternoon can go to mass.gov/RMV to reschedule. All other Executive Branch state offices will be closed to the public tomorrow. The Baker-Polito Administration has transitioned a large percentage of Executive Branch Employees to telework plans due to COVID-19 and those employees will be expected to telework.

The Administration is urging residents to stay off roadways and to use public transportation when possible as the storm moves across the Commonwealth by mid-day tomorrow.

“Driving tomorrow will be hazardous due to the high winds and snow in the forecast, so we are asking everyone to stay off the roads, avoid traveling if possible and to use public transportation if they have to go out,” said Governor Charlie Baker.

MassDOT has approximately 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available for snow and ice operations and this includes over 1,400 plow and spreader combos, 2,100 plows, and 460 front-end loaders.

Due to the storm, DOT anticipates imposing a ban on travel on Monday by tractor trailers on I-90 between the hours of 10:00 AM until 11:59 PM. Massachusetts State Police may also impose a speed restriction for motor vehicles of 40 m.p.h. on I-90 between specific interchanges if conditions warrant.

COVID-19 Vaccination Sites: In the case of closures due to inclement weather, providers of COVID-19 vaccination sites will reach out to individuals with appointments directly to reschedule. If individuals cannot safely get to their appointments, they will be allowed to reschedule directly with the provider with whom they scheduled a vaccination. For further questions on winter weather impacts, individuals should reach out to provider sites directly. To find contact info for an individual site, please check the map at mass.gov/COVIDVaccineMap.​

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, MassDOT, and State Police are working closely with the National Weather Service to monitor the forecast. The MBTA Storm Desk will continue to monitor rail service throughout the storm and provide updates to commuters at http://www.MBTA.com/winter.