By Beth David, Editor
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced on Tuesday that the state is continuing its methodical opening of businesses and loosening up of restrictions in lower risk communities.
Performance venues and some other recreation businesses can open if they are located in communities designated as “lower risk,” which is defined for this order as not being in the red for the last three weeks.
Acushnet, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester all fall within that category. New Bedford is high risk, Fairhaven and Dartmouth are moderate risk, but may still go to the next phase.
The interactive map on the state’s website, available at https://www. mass.gov/info-details/community-level-covid-19-data-reporting, is color coded to show risk.
Based on the average daily cases per 100,000 residents, each city or town has been designated as a higher risk (red), moderate risk (yellow), or lower risk (green) community. Communities with fewer than 5 cases are not given a designation.
Visitors to the site can click on a community to see key COVID-19 statistics.
Fairhaven was lower risk last week, shaded green, but this week had an uptick in cases, moving us to the moderate risk category. The town had 10 new cases in the last two weeks.
Acushnet stayed low with fewer than five cases in the past two weeks, earning a gray/no designation color, along with Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.
Dartmouth, in the moderate category, had 22 cases in the past two weeks. New Bedford, colored red on the map, the highest risk, had 131 cases.
Fifteen communities are in the high risk category and may not open. Only New Bedford is in that list from the local area. Four other communities have moved from red last week, to moderate this week.
Boston, also in the yellow, will not loosen restrictions, said Mayor Marty Walsh, because they are too close to the red zone.
Step two of phase three allows indoor and outdoor performance venues to open at 50% capacity or a maximum of 250 people; arcades and indoor/outdoor recreation such as trampolines, obstacle course, roller inks and laser tag will increase capacity to 50%; fitting rooms in retail stores will now be open; gyms, museums, libraries, driving and flight schools can increase capacity to 50%.
Outdoor events will be limited to 100 people. Indoor gatherings, however, will continue to be maxed out at 25 people and outdoor private events capped at 50. Public outdoor events will also be capped at 50.
Restaurants may also open their bar seating. Group seating at tables will be expanded to 10 from six.
For the latest updates in Massachusetts, visit https://www. mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information
As of Tuesday, 9/29, the state had 129,243 confirmed cases; 9210 deaths; and 2,219,798 people tested.
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