Gov. Charlie Baker’s office has communicated to public officials that places of worship, construction sites and manufacturing facilities will be allowed to operate with heavy restrictions during the first phase of his plan for reopening the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two industries, along with places of worship, will be able to resume operations Monday, with social distancing measures in place, according to a notice from the Massachusetts Municipal Association that was shared with municipal leaders this past weekend at the governor’s request.
Until the memo, which was shared with The Item, Baker had declined to discuss details about his “four-phased approach to reopening” ahead of his scheduled press conference Monday.
On a conference call with the Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday, lawmakers speculated that the first phase would only allow for essential businesses to continue operating, and that there would not be much change when stay-at-home orders and the ban on non-essential businesses expires on Monday.
However, the first phase of Baker’s plan, “start,” which calls for limited industries to resume operations with severe restrictions, is now expected to include the aforementioned occupations and religious venues, according to the MMA notice.
For all places of worship, those restrictions will include an occupancy limit of 40 percent of a building’s maximum permitted capacity, requiring non-family members attending a service to sit at least six feet apart, and mandating face coverings for parishioners.
If there is fixed seating in places of worship, rows should be blocked off and kept empty to allow for sufficient distancing. Places of worship are encouraged to modify communal rituals and how financial contributions are collected to minimize contact with others.
For example, pre-wrapped communion could be distributed, and parishioners could be encouraged to make financial contributions electronically or by mail, rather than through collection baskets or trays during a service.
At construction sites and in manufacturing facilities, crew members and employees are required to wear face coverings and stand at least six feet apart from each other.
Meetings of more than 10 people at construction sites should be avoided and large gatherings on sites, such as shacks and break areas, will be eliminated. Small break areas with seating that ensures social distancing will instead be used.
Workstations at manufacturing facilities should be re-engineered to allow for social distancing, break and lunch times should be staggered, cafeterias should offer only prepackaged food and having more than one person in an elevator or work vehicle at a time is discouraged.
The restrictions outlined in the notice for each industry also include robust cleaning and disinfecting requirements, along with guidelines for proper hygiene practices.
Each industry opening in Phase One is required to follow the “Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards” that were developed by the state Department of Public Health and the COVID-19 Command Center. Those new workplace requirements include best practices around social distancing, hygiene, staffing and operations, and cleaning, according to Baker’s office.
Businesses that have operated during the closure, which went into effect March 23, because they offer “essential services” will be allowed to continue operating during the phased reopening. However, they will be required to meet those new “Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards” by May 25, according to the MMA.
On Monday, Baker will announce additional sectors and industries that will be allowed to open at a later date in Phase One, according to the MMA.
State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said lawmakers have been more focused on what the safety protocols will be for businesses, rather than when individual sectors will be allowed to operate.
“I look forward to getting a more detailed briefing for how those will work for those three new sectors,” said Crighton. “The administration has said all along this is going to be a phased approach. Our concern for any business that opens, (is that) they will have a clean workspace, social distancing measures will be put in place, and masks must be worn along with any other safety protocols.”
For those three new sectors, Crighton said he would be looking for more details on how social distancing and safety measures will be put into place at crowded construction and manufacturing sites, and places of worship where a large number of people congregate.
Crighton said he would continue to rely on the advice of public health experts and feels that the economy will rebound more strongly if social distancing measures are followed and public health is prioritized.
“I’m definitely looking forward to more details on Monday,” said Crighton. “Obviously we want our economy to come back strong, but we need to continue to approach this in the most cautious way possible to prevent the further spread of the virus and an even worse impact to the economy in the long-term.”
