COVID-19: Reopening in the City of Boston

The Reopen Boston Fund will help small businesses put in place the necessary public health guidance requirements needed to reopen in the coming months.

Learn about the fund

Timeline for businesses

Essential businesses

All businesses deemed essential by previous orders remain open. These include:

grocery stores, bodegas, and pharmacies
laundromats and laundry services
gas stations, auto repair, and bike repair shops
moving and storage
hotels to accommodate essential workers and vulnerable populations
hardware stores, pet stores, postal stores (including private delivery companies)
banks, and
plumbers, electricians, and inspectors for emergency services.

Phase 1: Starting May 18

Construction will resume in the City of Boston in a phased manner (work on schools, hospitals, some residential work, and open-air construction until May 25)
Manufacturing
Places of worship (View City guidance for houses of worship)

Starting May 26, 2020:

The City will permit any construction type that is allowed by the state, with the required COVID-19 Safety Affidavits and COVID-19 Safety Plans for permitted construction work in place.
Auto dealers and wholesalers (for curbside pickup and delivery only)
Car washes
Drive-in movie theaters
Hair salons and barbershops
Lab spaces
Libraries, for curbside pickup and delivery only (excludes Boston locations). As of June 22, patrons will be able to pick up physical items at the Boston Public Library with the new “BPL to Go” program.
Pet grooming
Retail for curbside pickup and delivery only (such as clothing stores, toy stores, jewelry stores, nurseries and garden centers that don’t sell food products, adult use cannabis stores)

Starting June 1, 2020:

General office spaces: The City of Boston’s operational recommendations for businesses, employers, and commercial landlords for return-to-work strategies for office workplaces can be found online.

Step 1 of Phase 2: Starting Monday, June 8

Retail, with occupancy limits
Childcare facilities and day camps, with detailed guidance
Restaurants, outdoor table service only
Hotels and other lodgings, no events, functions or meetings
Warehouses and distribution centers
Personal services without close physical contact, such as home cleaning, photography, window washing, career coaching and education tutoring
Post-secondary, higher education, vocational-tech and occupation schools for the purpose of completing graduation requirements
Youth and adult amateur sports, with detailed guidance
Outdoor recreation facilities (View City guidance on outdoor fitness)
Golf facilities, including outdoor driving ranges
Professional sports practices, no games or public admissions
Non-athletic youth instructional classes in arts, education or life skills and in groups of less than 10
Driving and flight schools
Outdoor historical spaces; no functions, gatherings or guided tours
Funeral homes, with occupancy limits

Step 2 of Phase 2: Starts Monday, June 22

Indoor table service at restaurants (The Boston Licensing Board released an indoor dining advisory.)
Close-contact personal services, with restrictions, including:
- Hair removal and replacement
- Nail care
- Skin care
- Massage therapy
- Makeup salons and makeup application services
- Tanning salons
- Tattoo, piercing and body art services
- Personal training, with restrictions
Retail dressing rooms, by appointment only
Offices, at 50 percent capacity

Step 1 of Phase 3: Starts Monday, July 6, in Mass. | Boston starts on Monday, July 13

Phase 3, Step 1 will begin on Monday, July 6, except for Boston, where it will begin on Monday, July 13. The updated gathering advisory goes into effect on July 6 as well, except for in Boston, where it will take effect on July 13.

The following businesses will be eligible to reopen in Step One of Phase III, subject to industry-specific rules concerning capacity and operations:

Movie theaters and outdoor performance venues
Museums, cultural, and historical sites
Fitness centers and health clubs
Certain indoor recreational activities with low potential for contact
Professional sports teams, under the authority of league-wide rules, may hold games without spectators

Revised Gatherings Order:

Under the updated gatherings order, indoor gatherings are limited to eight people per 1,000 square feet, but should not exceed 25 people in a single enclosed, indoor space.

Outdoor gatherings in enclosed spaces are limited to 25 percent of the facility’s maximum permitted occupancy, with a maximum of 100 people in a single enclosed outdoor space. This includes community events, civic events, sporting events, concerts, conventions and more. This order does not apply to outdoor, unenclosed gatherings if proper social distancing measures are possible.

This revised order does not supersede previously issued sector guidance, and is effective beginning Monday, July 6. It will be effective Monday, July 13 in the City of Boston.