On March 25, the Baker-Polito administration announced an in-home vaccination program for homebound individuals, beginning March 29. 168 local boards of health representing about 40% of the Massachusetts population will conduct the program for their residents, while the other 60% will receive vaccine through the statewide Commonwealth Care Alliance.

The administration also announced that a total of $100 million in aid will be distributed to Chelsea, Everett, Methuen, and Randolph to support costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to learn more.

On March 17, the Baker-Polito administration announced the timeline for remaining phases of the vaccine, and announced a new $24.7 million investment in the administration's Vaccine Equity Initiative.

Timeline:

• March 22: Residents 60+ and certain workers

• Restaurant/cafe workers
• Food, meatpacking, beverage, agriculture, consumer goods, retail, or food service workers
• Grocery/convenience store workers
• Food pantry workers and volunteers
• Medical supply chain workers
• Vaccine development workers
• Transit/transportation workers
• Public works, water, wastewater, or utility workers
• Sanitation workers
• Public health workers
• Court system workers
• Funeral directors and funeral workers

• April 5: Residents 55+ and residents with one of a list of medical conditions

• Moderate to severe asthma
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Immunocompromised from solid organ transplant
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Smoking
• Type 2 diabetes

• April 19: General public aged 16 years and older

All residents can preregister to book an appointment at www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.

Learn more: https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-vaccine-timeline-for-all-residents-provides-weekly-dose-updates-274-million-in-federal-funding-for-vaccine-equity-initiative

On March 10, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a new preregistration signup tool will be available for the state’s 7 mass vaccination sites starting Friday, March 12. The new system will make it easier to request and book an appointment at a mass vaccination site at a nearby location when they are available. More sites will be added to the preregistration system in the coming weeks.

Learn more here.

On March 9, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that the “Stop the Spread” COVID-19 initiative, which provides free COVID-19 testing in communities across the Commonwealth, has been extended through June 30, 2021. It was previously set to end on March 31.

Learn more here.

On March 3, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that K-12 educators, child care workers and K-12 school staff will be eligible to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting March 11.

Learn more here.

On February 25, the Baker-Polito Administration announced plans to advance Massachusetts' reopening on Monday, March 1, and Monday, March 22.

The state will advance to Phase III, Step 2, on Monday, March 1. (Read the Executive Order here)

• Indoor performances venues and currently-closed high-contact recreational activities (such as laser tag, skating, and obstacle courses) can reopen at 50% capacity (with no more than 500 people).
• Restaurants will no longer have a percent capacity limit and can host musical performances, but must maintain six-foot social distancing, limits of 6 people per table, and 90 minute time limits.
• Capacity limits across other sectors will be raised to 50% and exclude employees.

Provided that public health metrics continue to improve, the state will advance to Phase IV, Step 1 on Monday, March 22.

• Indoor and outdoor stadiums, arenas, and ballparks will be permitted to operate at a 12% capacity limit after submitting a plan to the Department of Public Health
• Gathering limits at event venues and public settings will increase to 100 people indoors and 150 people outdoors.
• Gathering limits at private residences and private backyard will remain at 25 people outdoors and 10 people indoors.
• Dance floors are permitted at weddings and other events
• Overnight summer camps will be allowed to operate this summer
• Exhibition and convention halls may begin to operate following gathering limits and event protocols

Click here to learn more.

On February 16, the Baker-Polito administration announced a targeted outreach initiative in the 20 cities and towns most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The administration also committed $1 million to the MA League of Community Health Centers to support vaccination in historically underserved communities.

The administration will dedicate extra resources to encourage vaccinations in Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester.

Click here to learn more.

New Mass Vaccination Sites, New Appointments, and Authorization for Caregiver to Get Vaccinated with 75+ Residents

On February 11, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that two new mass vaccination sites will open in Natick and Dartmouth. The administration also announced that individuals who accompany someone age 75 or older to get a vaccine at a mass vaccination site may also schedule and receive their own vaccination on the same day.

Click here to learn more.

Pooled Testing for Massachusetts Schools

On January 8, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that weekly COVID-19 pooled testing will be available within the next month to schools and districts across the Commonwealth, expanding on a rapid testing initiative that began in schools in December.

Click here to learn more.

Capacity Limits, Gathering Limits, and Elective Surgeries

On Tuesday, December 22, the Baker-Polito administration announced that from December 26, the capacity at most businesses in Massachusetts will be subject to a 25% capacity limit, indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people, outdoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people, and hospitals are directed to postpone or cancel all nonessential inpatient elective invasive procedures.

On January 7, the limits were extended until January 26.

Click here to read the Dec. 22 announcement

Click here to read the Jan. 7 announcement

On Tuesday, December 8, the Baker-Polito administration announced that all communities in Massachusetts will return to Step 1 of Phase 3, of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan on Sunday, December 13.

Changes include:

• Capacity limits will be reduced to 40% statewide for most industries, including gyms, retail, offices, and places of worship
• The limit on outdoor gatherings will be reduced statewide from 100 persons to 50 persons
• Hosts of outdoor gatherings of greater than 25 people will be required to provide advance notice of the gathering their local board of health
• Indoor theaters and performance venues and higher contact indoor recreation businesses will be required to close to the public
• Outdoor theaters and performance venues will be limited to 25% capacity, and no more than 50 people

The Administration also announced updated restaurant guidelines, including:

• Patrons must wear masks at all times except when eating and drinking
• Restaurants must seat no more than six patrons per table
• Restaurants must impose a 90-minute time limit on tables
• Musical performances at restaurants will no longer be permitted
• Food court seating must be closed in malls

Click here to learn more.

On Friday, November 6, the Baker-Polito Administration and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released updated metrics for schools and municipalities.

The administration announced that the color-coded designation for community COVID-19 risk would be updated to account for a community's population size: instead of total cases, metrics will now be based on cases per 100,000 residents and test positivity rate.

Alongside these new designations, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued updated guidance to prioritize in-person learning statewide and support municipalities.

Under this guidance, districts and schools in communities designated gray, green or yellow are expected to have students learning fully in-person when possible. Red communities should implement hybrid models while maximizing in-person learning for high-needs students. Fully remote instruction should be implemented only as a last resort.

Click here to read more.

On Monday, November 2, Governor Baker announced new measures to slow the growth of COVID-19, which will go into effect on Friday, November 6.

New statewide orders and advisories include:

• Stay at Home Advisory between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The Advisory allows for activities like going to work, running critical errands, and taking walks. Click here for the revised advisory.
• Business Closures at 9:30 p.m.:  Certain businesses, including in-person dining at restaurants, liquor stores, events, theaters, sports activities, recreational facilities, close contact personal services, gyms, cultural facilities, and more, must close at 9:30 p.m. Click here for the order and full list of businesses.
• Face Covering Order: Everyone must wear face coverings in all pubic places, even where they can maintain a 6 foot distance from others. Click here to read the order.
• Gatherings Order: Indoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people, and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 25 people.The limit on gatherings held in public spaces remains 25 people indoors, 100 people in Lower Risk Communities, and 50 in other communities. Click here to read the order.

Click here to learn more.

On Monday, October 5, lower-risk communities will be permitted to move into Step II of Phase III of Massachusetts' reopening plan.

Lower-risk communities are defined as cities and towns that have not been a “red” community in any of the last three weekly Department of Public Health weekly reports.

For these lower-risk communities:

• Indoor and outdoor performance venues can open with 50% capacity, maximum of 250 people
• Arcades and indoor recreation businesses, including trampolines, laser tag, and roller rinks, can open with 50% capacity
• Fitting rooms in retail stores can reopen
• Gyms, museums, libraries, and driving and flight schools can increase capacity to 50%.

Governor Baker's revised gatherings order states:

• The limit for indoor gatherings remains at a maximum of 25 people for all communities
• The limit for outdoor gatherings at private residences will remain at a maximum of 50 people for all communities
• Outdoor gatherings at event venues and in public settings will have a limit of 50 people in Step I communities, and a limit of 100 people in lower risk, Step II communities.

Click here to learn more.

On Friday, August 21, the Department of Early Education and Care announced revised minimum requirements for health and safety for child care providers.

The new requirements ease restrictions on classroom group sizes and ratios and allow limited on-site services for children with special needs to occur safely in child care facilities.

Click here to learn more.

On Friday, August 7, Governor Charlie Baker announced a set of initiatives, including stricter statewide rules for public and private gatherings and targeted community guidance.

The announcement:

• Reduces the limits on outdoor gatherings from to 50 people (from 100)
• Updates restaurant rules to state that alcoholic beverages may only be served for on-site consumption if accompanied by orders for food prepared on-site.
• Establishes a cross-agency COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team
• Extends free testing in 17 communities through September 12

Click here to learn more.

On July 24, Governor Baker announced that effective August 1,  all travelers entering the Commonwealth, including both out of state residents and Massachusetts residents returning home, will be required to comply with a new travel order.

Starting August 1, all visitors and Massachusetts residents returning home, including students returning to campuses for the fall semester, must fill out a “Massachusetts Travel Form” and quarantine for 14 days unless they are coming from a COVID-19 lower risk state or they can produce a negative COVID-19 test result administered no more than 72 hours prior to arriving in Massachusetts, or they are included in one of the other, limited exemptions.

The travel order and other information is available at www.mass.gov/MAtraveler.

On Monday, July 6, Massachusetts will enter Phase III of the state's four-phase reopening plan. Movie theaters and outdoor performance venues; museums and cultural and historic sites; and fitness centers and health clubs can now reopen with restrictions.

Indoor gatherings are now limited to eight people per 1,000 feet or 25 people in a single enclosed space and outdoor gatherings are limited to 25 percent of the facility's maximum occupancy, with a maximum of 100 people in a single enclosed outdoor space.

Links:

• Sector-Specific Reopening Guidance
• Reopening Massachusetts State Website

On Thursday, June 25, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released initial guidance for school reopening this fall. To reopen, school officials must develop three models of learning: in-person with new health and safety requirements, hybrid learning, and remote learning plans. The guidance prioritizes in-person learning with health and safety requirements.

Click here for the school reopening guide.

The Commonwealth Workplace COVID-19 Reoccupancy Guide is a working document meant as a template for state agencies, and could be used as a template for other entities to create their own reoccupancy guidelines. The guidance is a working document subject to to continuous updates as new information becomes available.

Click here for the guide.