Statewide stay-at-home order, 9:30 p.m. curfew for businesses to be lifted Monday

RESTAURANTS IN CAMBRIDGE THAT NEVER DID TAKE OUT UNTIL THE PANDEMIC HIT AND THEY HAD TO PIVOT T SURVIVE. THEY ARE STILL DOING BIG TAKE-OUT BUSINESS TONIGHT BUT OWNERSHIP IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXTENDED HOURS, STRETCHING OUT THERE HOURS AS PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO EAT OUT PAST 9:30 AT NIGHT. THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IS HOLDING ON FOR SPRING AND LONGER HOURS AS WELCOME NEWS TO A BUSINESS THAT HAS BEEN BATTERED RECENTLY. >> WE COULD NEVER SIT ANYBODY AFTER 9:00 BECAUSE AN HOUR IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE. IT ALLEVIATES THE STRESS AND INTENSITY OF THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS OF OUR SHIFT HERE AS A TEAM. >> EVEN WITH CLOSING HOURS BEING EXTENDED, SEATING CAPACITY WILL REMAIN AT 25% UNTIL FEBRUARY 8, WHEN THE STATE WILL REEVALUATE WHERE THINGS ARE WHEN IT COMES TO COVID NUMBERS AND HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS.

Massachusetts will begin a "gradual easing" of COVID-19-related restrictions on businesses starting Monday morning.Gov. Charlie Baker said effective at 5 a.m. on Jan. 25, the 9:30 p.m. curfew on businesses will be lifted, as well as a stay-at-home order that asked people not to go out between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Baker said the changes apply to, but are not limited to, restaurants, health clubs and movie theaters.The governor cited stabilizing numbers at the state's hospitals and lower numbers of new daily cases when he made the announcement last Thursday."Vaccines are reaching residents, positive case rates and hospitalizations have stabilized; those trends are moving in the right direction. As a result, we believe it's OK and it's time to start a gradual easing of some of the restrictions we put in place in the fall," Baker said. Most businesses, including restaurants, have been limited to 25% capacity -- a cap that Baker said will stay in place until at least Feb. 8.Currently, gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. "While (Thursday's) announcement reflects another step toward normalcy, we still have a lot of work ahead of us to suppress the pandemic once and for all and to fully reopen our economy," Baker said. Dr. Shira Doron, the hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, says Baker continues to be data-driven and evidence-based in his decision making."Businesses and restaurants have not been shown to be a significant source of spread of infection, and it's not clear that the additional measures that were instituted in November and December actually helped," Doron said. "But it's important that we not take this decision as an indication that we can let up on any of the mitigation measures that we still need to practice as individuals: mask wearing, distancing, hand hygiene and avoiding gatherings."Doron also says the COVID-19 data in Massachusetts suggests that the second surge in the state has peaked."Well, the numbers here in Massachusetts are certainly looking more favorable," Doron said. "New cases, percent positivity, hospitalizations and deaths are all decreasing or leveling off. That's consistent with the idea that holiday gatherings and travel led to a surge in COVID-19 infections, and that we're now past that."Doron warns, however, that Massachusetts residents need to keep their guard up because of the possibility that a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant could become widespread and drive the number of new coronavirus cases back up.PHNjcmlwdCBpZD0iaW5mb2dyYW1fMF85MTUyMTg3My03NmRhLTQ0ZmUtOTA0Ny1mMTllZWFlZGFjNmQiIHRpdGxlPSJDb3JvbmF2aXJ1cyBpbiBNYXNzYWNodXNldHRzIiBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZS5pbmZvZ3JhbS5jb20vanMvZGlzdC9lbWJlZC5qcz9yeXoiIHR5cGU9InRleHQvamF2YXNjcmlwdCI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+

BOSTON —

Massachusetts will begin a "gradual easing" of COVID-19-related restrictions on businesses starting Monday morning.

Gov. Charlie Baker said effective at 5 a.m. on Jan. 25, the 9:30 p.m. curfew on businesses will be lifted, as well as a stay-at-home order that asked people not to go out between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Baker said the changes apply to, but are not limited to, restaurants, health clubs and movie theaters.

The governor cited stabilizing numbers at the state's hospitals and lower numbers of new daily cases when he made the announcement last Thursday.

"Vaccines are reaching residents, positive case rates and hospitalizations have stabilized; those trends are moving in the right direction. As a result, we believe it's OK and it's time to start a gradual easing of some of the restrictions we put in place in the fall," Baker said.

Most businesses, including restaurants, have been limited to 25% capacity -- a cap that Baker said will stay in place until at least Feb. 8.

Currently, gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors.

"While (Thursday's) announcement reflects another step toward normalcy, we still have a lot of work ahead of us to suppress the pandemic once and for all and to fully reopen our economy," Baker said.

Dr. Shira Doron, the hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, says Baker continues to be data-driven and evidence-based in his decision making.

"Businesses and restaurants have not been shown to be a significant source of spread of infection, and it's not clear that the additional measures that were instituted in November and December actually helped," Doron said. "But it's important that we not take this decision as an indication that we can let up on any of the mitigation measures that we still need to practice as individuals: mask wearing, distancing, hand hygiene and avoiding gatherings."

Doron also says the COVID-19 data in Massachusetts suggests that the second surge in the state has peaked.

"Well, the numbers here in Massachusetts are certainly looking more favorable," Doron said. "New cases, percent positivity, hospitalizations and deaths are all decreasing or leveling off. That's consistent with the idea that holiday gatherings and travel led to a surge in COVID-19 infections, and that we're now past that."

Doron warns, however, that Massachusetts residents need to keep their guard up because of the possibility that a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant could become widespread and drive the number of new coronavirus cases back up.

Statewide stay-at-home order, 9:30 p.m. curfew for businesses to be lifted Monday

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

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