Indoor restaurant seating, retail dressing rooms, close contact services to begin Monday in MA

BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Step Two of Phase II of the Commonwealth’s four-phase reopening plan, Reopening Massachusetts, will begin on Monday, June 22 to allow additional industries to resume operations under sector-specific guidelines.

Businesses and sectors set to begin operating in Step Two of Phase II are subject to compliance with all mandatory safety standards.

On May 18, the Administration released a four-phased plan to reopen the economy based on public health data, spending at least three weeks in each phase. Key public health data, such as new cases and hospitalizations, has been closely monitored and seen a significant decline allowing for Step Two of Phase II to begin on June 22.

The following will be eligible to reopen in Step Two of Phase II on Monday, June 22:

Indoor table service at restaurants;

Close-contact personal services, with restrictions;

Retail dressing rooms, by appointment only;

Offices, at 50 percent capacity

Close Contact Personal Services are defined as any personal service typically delivered through close physical contact with the customer, including but not limited to:

a. hair removal services; including laser services, depilatory salons, waxing services, threading, and electrolysis services

b. massage, body treatments, eastern treatment, energy therapies and other body work therapies;

c. skin care services; including peels, facials, serums, Botox and filler

d. nail care services; including nail salons

e. other hair services; including hair replacement services, scalp treating services

f. makeup salons;

g. makeup application services;

h. 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;

i. tanning salons; including other businesses

In order to give Step 2 businesses time to prepare, the Administration had previously released sector-specific guidance in advance of Phase II for industries including restaurants, close-contact personal services.

Before these sectors can resume operations under the guidelines, businesses must meet all safety standards, create a COVID-19 control plan, and complete a self-certification.

Be prepared to have to abide by safety protocols such as wearing a mask and social distancing when possible.