BOSTON (WHDH) – Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Tuesday praised Gov. Charlie Baker’s four-phase reopening plan before detailing how Phase 1, which has been dubbed “Start,” will impact businesses in Boston.
“Reopening, unfortunately, doesn’t mean going back to normal. It means bringing the same caution and that same commitment to stop the spread into our workplaces and our community spaces,” Walsh said during a news conference at City Hall.
Walsh thanked Baker and the state’s Reopening Advisory Board for considering Boston’s population and the number of workers who commute into the city each day as they put together Massachusetts’ four-phased plan to a “New Normal.”
“We are the third most densely-populated major city in the United States of America after New York and San Franciso. In normal times, our population roughly doubles in size every day as regional workforces enter our city and our workplaces,” Walsh said. “So we have unique concerns and situations about how we prepare and what have to prepare for.”
Under Phase 1, which took effect on Monday, construction sites across the Commonwealth were given the green light to immediately reopen. Walsh said Boston will be taking more of a “phased-in” approach with respect to construction.
Work on schools, hospitals, and smaller residential projects and open-air construction will begin this week in Boston, while other work permitted by the state will commence in the city on May 26, according to Walsh.
“In every case, we’re requiring contractors to submit a COVID-19 safety plan before returning to work to help sites meet their requirements,” Walsh said.
Walsh explained that all sites will be required to check the temperatures of workers, among other precautions. He also said that canteen trucks will not be permitted until further notice due to coronavirus risks.
On May 25, lab and office spaces across the state will begin to reopen. Walsh stated that offices in Boston will not be permitted to allow workers back until June 1.
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“This allows us to work collaboratively with building owners and employers on safety plans that meet robust public health standards. Every employer has a responsibility to create and implement plans for your workplace that minimizes the risk of COVID transmission,” Walsh said.
Walsh said city officials will be working with employers in the coming days to ensure proper practices are taken with respect to things like shift-scheduling, work-from-home policies, physical distancing, PPE requirements, and cleaning protocols.
Offices will be limited to 25 percent capacity during Phase 1 of the state’s plan, although Walsh expressed concerns about brining that many people back into Boston officers right out of the gate.
“Personally, I’m not comfortable with the 25 percent number,” Walsh said. “I think 25 percent for the first day is too much.”
Walsh also urged office managers to allow employees to continue to work from home if possible.
“Don’t force people to come to work,” Walsh said. “If people can work from home, let them do that.”
Phase 1 also calls for the reopening of retail stores for curbside pickup, hair salons and barbershops for appointment-only services, and car washes for exterior-only services on vehicles. Walsh said he was OK with that, as long as city businesses have a safety plan in place.
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Walsh said his Small Business Office has received several calls from barbershops and hair salons that have expressed concern about only being able to meet “70 percent” of the health and safety requirements that must be met before reopening.
“I want to be clear that reopening must only happen in a way that’s safe for you, your workers, and your customers,” Walsh said. “We are ready to help you create plans that meet the state guidelines and go far beyond them.”
Walsh noted that the Boston Transportation Department has been tasked with facilitating safe curbside pickup at retail stores citywide. A creative public space solution is also being developed to keep pedestrians at least six feet apart in busy business districts.
Owners of smaller establishments that offer high-contact services who are uncomfortable with reopening can opt to remain closed. Walsh said they will continue to receive resources from the city.
“If you don’t feel comfortable opening, I want to assure you that we will continue to back you,” Walsh said. “Because of the date, that doesn’t mean that you have to open.”
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Any place of worship that has doubts about safely holding services should not reopen, Walsh stressed.
The state’s guidelines for reopening allowed churches, synagogues, and mosques to open on Monday at 40 percent capacity with distancing rules and mandatory face-covering requirements in place.
“We have had questions about churches’ choirs and hymns,” Walsh said. “This should not happen yet given the added risk of transmission from singing versus normal speaking.”
Walsh also asked all seniors and those with pre-existing conditions to continue to stay home as much as possible for the foreseeable future.
It will be at least three weeks until Boston restaurants can welcome customers back in some sort of capacity, while the days of drinking at a bar and working out in a gym are at least six weeks away, according to the various phases in the state’s plan.
Walsh said he hopes that restaurants will be able to accommodate diners inside and outside come June 8, when Phase 2 is slated to begin.
When asked about the status of September’s Boston Marathon, which was rescheduled back in March, Walsh said his adminstation has been talking with the Boston Athletic Association about “the best way to move forward” with the race.
For more information on the state’s reopening plan, click here.
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