COHASSET — Town Manager Christopher Senior, Health Director Pam Fahey and Public Health Nurse Mary Goodwin would like to share with the residents of Cohasset information about the new measures announced by the Baker-Polito Administration this week to address the recent steady increase of COVID-19 cases in the state.
On Monday, Nov. 2, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a series of targeted measures to disrupt the increasing trend of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
All of the orders and advisories will take effect Friday, Nov. 6 at 12:01 a.m.
The Cohasset Board of Health supported the order at their meeting earlier this week.
“At their Nov. 4 meeting, members of the Cohasset Board of Health strongly endorsed the Governor’s order requiring mandatory mask wearing in public places and reducing the gathering size limit for gatherings at private residences,” Health Director Fahey said. “With cases rising in the area and across the state, we must all do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19, and the Town of Cohasset remains committed to supporting the most up-to-date health and safety guidelines from public health officials.”
Cohasset residents are reminded to wear face coverings when outdoors, including in high-traffic areas such as the Village, Cohasset Town Common and school grounds.
Stay At Home Advisory
A revised Stay At Home Advisory has been issued and instructs residents to stay home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Exceptions are made for activities such as going to work, running critical errands to get groceries and address health needs, and taking a walk.
The revised Stay At Home Advisory can be found here.
Early Closure of Businesses and Activities
A new executive order will require certain businesses to end and activities to close each night at 9:30 p.m. This closure requirement is aligned with the revised Stay At Home Advisory and together the two new initiatives are designed to further limit activities that could lead to COVID-19 transmission.
Effective Friday, the following businesses and activities must close to the public each day between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.:
- Restaurants: In-person dining must cease at 9:30 p.m. Takeout and delivery may continue for food and non-alcoholic beverages, but not alcohol.
- Liquor stores and other retail establishments that sell alcohol must cease alcohol sales at 9:30 p.m., but may continue to sell other products.
- Adult-use marijuana sales must cease at 9:30 p.m., not including medical marijuana.
- Indoor and outdoor events
- Theaters or movie theaters, including drive-in movie theaters, as well as indoor and outdoor performance venues
- Youth and adult amateur sports activities
- Close contact personal services (such as hair and nail salons)
- Gyms, fitness centers and health clubs
Additional businesses and activities that are affected include golf facilities; recreational boating and boating businesses; outdoor recreational experiences; driving and flight schools; zoos, botanical gardens, wildlife reserves and nature centers; casinos and horse tracks/simulcast facilities; indoor and outdoor pools; and museums, cultural and historical facilities and guided tours.
Click here to read the new executive order, including a full list of businesses affected by the new early closure requirement.
Face Coverings
The face covering order has also been revised. Face coverings are now required in all public places, even if 6 feet of social distance can be maintained.
Exceptions remain for residents who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical or disabling condition, but the revised order allows employers to require employees to provide proof of such a condition. The order also allows schools to require that students participating in in-person learning provide proof of such a medical or disabling condition.
Click here to read the revised face-coverings order.
Gatherings
A new gatherings order reduces the gathering size limit for gatherings at private residences. Indoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 25 people.
The limit on gatherings held in public spaces and at event venues (i.e. 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 p.m.
The new gatherings order also requires that organizers of gatherings report known positive COVID-19 cases to the local health department in that community and requires organizers to cooperate with contact tracing. The gatherings order authorizes continued enforcement by local health and police departments and specifies that fines for violating the order will be $500 for each person above the limit at a particular gathering.
Click here to read the revised gatherings order.
More Information
For more information about COVID-19 prevention and symptoms, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website here and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website here.
Additional information regarding the Town of Cohasset’s response to COVID-19 can be found on the Town’s website: https://www.cohassetma.org/.
Residents can also visit https://cohassetcovid19.com/ for the latest updates and guidance pertaining to COVID-19 in Cohasset.
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