Governor Issues Stay At Home Advisory And New Orders Regarding Face Coverings, Businesses, And Gatherings

Press release from the Town of Lexington:

November 2, 2020

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, Governor Baker has issued a number of orders, as well as a stay-at-home advisory, to curb the spread. He has announced these changes at a time where public health data has indicated that cases are rising, with cases up by 278% and hospitalizations up by 145% since Labor Day.

These measures are meant to disrupt rising trends now, so the Commonwealth can keep the economy and schools open for residents and to prevent the need to roll back to Phase I or Phase II of the reopening plan.

All orders and advisories will be effective Friday, November 6 at 12:01 AM.

Stay At Home Advisory

Once the advisory is in effect, all residents of Massachusetts are advised to stay home between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM.

Only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking emergency medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up take-out food, or receiving deliveries.

For additional details visit www.mass.gov/stayhome.

Face Covering Order

The revised face covering order requires everyone over the age of 5 to wear face coverings in all public places, both indoors and outdoors, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.

The revised order still allows for an exception for residents who cannot wear a face-covering due to a medical or disabling condition, but it allows employers to require employees to provide proof of such a condition.

It also allows schools to require that students participating in in-person learning provide proof of such a medical or disabling condition.

Read the revised face-coverings order

Early Closure of Businesses and Activities

Governor Baker issued a new executive order that requires the early closure of certain businesses and activities each night at 9:30 PM. These include restaurants, liquor stores, gym, move theatres, etc.

View the new executive order for a full list of businesses required to close at 9:30 PM.

The 9:30 PM closure requirement is aligned with the Stay At Home Advisory, and together the two new initiatives are designed to further limit activities that could lead to COVID-19 transmission.

Limit on Gatherings

The new gatherings order reduces the gathering size limit for gatherings at private residences:

• indoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people
• outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 25 people.

The limit on gatherings held in public spaces and at event venues (e.g. wedding venues) remains the same. The new order also requires that all gatherings (regardless of size or location) must end and disperse by 9:30 PM.

The new gatherings order also requires that organizers of gatherings report known positive COVID-19 cases to the local health department and requires organizers to cooperate with contact tracing.

The order authorizes continued enforcement by local health and police departments and specifies that fines for violating the gathering order will be $500 for each person above the limit at a particular gathering.

Read the revised gatherings order.

This press release was produced by the Town of Lexington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.