As the Commonwealth moves into Phase III of the reopening plan, businesses should take care to stay in compliance with the Mandatory Safety Standards for Workplaces. These standards apply universally to all reopening workplaces, and are designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to employees and customers during the first phase of reopening, and…
Today, Governor Baker announced that on July 6, Phase III of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan will begin and updates on gatherings will be in effect. For the City of Boston, Phase III and the gatherings order will take effect on Monday, July 13. The Department of Public Health (DPH) also issued updated guidance to mitigate the…
Today, households facing difficulty making housing payments may apply to access a new $20 million, statewide rent and mortgage assistance fund. The Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program will provide direct funding to eligible households who have suffered financial hardship during the State of Emergency put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19. ERMA will…
Last week, I voted with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a supplemental budget to facilitate federal CARES Act funding to reimburse communities hard-hit by COVID-19. This bill follows the April passage in Congress of the Federal CARES Act, which requires states to expend funds on items related to COVID-19 for federal…
Today, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released initial guidance for school reopening this fall that prioritizes getting students safely back to school in person, following a comprehensive set of health and safety requirements. The Department is also requiring schools to create hybrid learning plans to teach students in-person and remotely on alternating schedules, and…
Today, Governor Baker 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…
Phase II of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan begins today, as announced by Governor Baker this weekend. Businesses and sectors set to begin opening in Phase II are subject to compliance with all mandatory safety standards. On May 18, the Reopening Advisory Board released a four-phased plan to reopen the economy based on public health data,…
Today, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito provided an update on the Reopening Massachusetts plan and preparations for Phase II. On June 6th, the Administration will determine the start date, no sooner than June 8th, of Phase II based on public health metrics. On Monday, Governor Baker will issue an executive order with a more…
Last week, Governor Baker announced the creation of the Reopening Advisory Board, a 17-member advisory board to discuss the needs of the business community in order to open safely. I am honored to share that Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo has selected me to monitor the deliberations of the Reopening Advisory Board…
“We are in the surge.” That was what Governor Baker said at his press conference on Wednesday. The “surge” refers to the influx that is expected to put health care workers and emergency medical providers under tremendous stress as those diagnosed with COVID-19 seek treatment. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been expecting this surge in…
