GOV. CHARLIE BAKER’S stay-at-home advisory and closure of non-essential businesses expire May 18. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who is leading a task force that will guide the reopening, said Monday that that is not a “magical date,” but rather the day on which the task force will release its report.
That begs the obvious question: If the report comes out the same day the orders expire, what happens May 19? Don’t businesses – and administration officials – need time to react to the report? Businesses presumably will have to make changes to their business practices before they can reopen.
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce called on the Baker administration to instead publicly release its reopening plan this Friday, May 8, informing the public about what activities will be permitted under what circumstances. Chamber officials said this would give businesses and employees 10 days to prepare.
The governor on Wednesday provided slightly more clarity. Baker said assuming the data continue to show a downward trend in coronavirus spread, which didn’t happen Wednesday, his goal would be to open some businesses starting May 18 in a limited fashion, with safety precautions. He appeared to backtrack slightly on Polito’s statements from Monday, noting that her commission has already filed interim reports and is expected to make some recommendations before May 18.
Baker is already showing signs of loosening the shutdowns. Monday evening, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development updated its web page to reflect new regulations allowing non-essential businesses to bring a small number of employees into work to fulfill online and phone orders. This will let florists deliver Mother’s Day flowers, and also allow a host of other retail businesses to return to conducting at least limited business.
Oddly for an administration that has been holding daily press briefings and sending out frequent press releases, state officials did not send out any notice of the changes, although they were quickly picked up by the media. Perhaps Baker doesn’t want to be seen as reopening while the surge of patients continues. Or he doesn’t want to be asked why he allowed florists to open now, while punting questions about reopening other businesses – like marijuana dispensaries – to Polito’s task force.
Other changes appear to be in the works. MassLive reported that Baker on Thursday plans to announce rules under which golf courses can reopen.
While Baker never banned construction statewide, Boston did. Mayor Marty Walsh has now announced plans to restart construction projects.
It appears, despite the governor’s cautious talk about data and trends, that in a limited fashion, the reopening has already begun.
