Governor Announces Early Business Closures, Revised Gathering And Mask Orders To Disrupt The Increasing Trend Of Coronavirus Cases

Press release from the Town of Northborough:

November 2, 2020

Beginning Friday, November 6th at 12:01 AM, the following orders will go into effect:

• Stay At Home Advisory: The Administration issued a revised Stay At Home Advisory to ensure residents avoid unnecessary activities that can lead to increased COVID-19 transmission. The revised Stay At Home Advisory instructs residents to stay home between 10 PM and 5 AM. The Advisory allows for activities such as going to work, running critical errands to get groceries and address health needs, and taking a walk.
• Early Closure of Businesses and Activities: A new executive order requires the early closure of certain businesses and activities each night at 9:30 PM. Restaurants will be required to stop providing table service at 9:30 PM, although they can continue to offer takeout and delivery after that time. Liquor sales at restaurants and package stores will also shut down at 9:30 PM. Indoor recreational facilities like theaters and casinos, youth and adult sports and adult marijuana sales operations will be ordered to close at 9:30 PM as well. Click here to read the new executive order (including full list of businesses required to close at 9:30 PM).
• Face Covering Order: The updated face covering order requires everyone over the age of 5 to wear a face covering in public places, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others. The revised order allows schools and employers to require proof of medical exemptions for mask wearing. Click here to read the revised face-coverings order.
• Gathering Order: The governor also reduced the limit on indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25 people in private residences. All gatherings (regardless of size or location) must end and disperse by 9:30 PM. Fines for violating the gathering order will be $500 for each person above the limit. Click here to read the revised gatherings order.

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.

The Town of Northborough will continue to post regular updates regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on the Town’s home page under the red alert banner titled “COVID-19 Information: https://www.town.northborough.ma.us/. If you have COVID-19 questions that cannot be answered with the above links, you can call the Northborough Health Department at 508-393-5009.

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