Massachusetts issues guidance for reopening restaurants, hotels

Checklists published by state officials Friday detail a series of required steps restaurants and hotels must take before reopening.

STANDARDS WE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED.FOR RESTAURANTS, OUTDOOR DININGWILL BEGIN AT THE START OF PHASETWO.WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERSIN THE LEGISLATURE ONSTREAMLINING THE PROCESS FORLOCAL PERMITTING FOR OUTDOORDINING.INDOOR DINING WILL BEGIN LATERWITHIN PHASE TWO SUBJECT TO THEPUBLIC HEALTH DATA.THIS GUIDANCE WILL BE POSTED ONMASS DOT.GOV -- MASS.GOV.THE RESTAURANT GUIDANCE INCLUDESPROTOCOLS FOR PHYSICAL SPACE ANDSOCIAL DISTANCING.HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS.TABLES MUST BE POSITIONED SIXFEET APART.THE MAXIMUM PARTY SIZE WILL BESIX PEOPLE.EVEN WHEN INDOOR SEATING ISPERMITTED, USE OF OUTDOOR SPACEWILL BE ENCOURAGED FOR ALLRESTAURANTS TO INCREASEVENTILATION AND BETTER SOCIALDISTANCING.CUSTOMERS MAY NOT BE SEATED ATBARS, BUT BAR AREAS MAY BERECONSTITUTED FOR TABLE SEATING.TODAY’S GUIDANCE FOR RESTAURANTSWILL ALSO INCLUDE SPECIFICHYGIENE PROTOCOLS TO KEEP SPACESCLEAN.FOR EXAMPLE, PROTOCOLS TO KEEPITEMS LIKE UTENSILS AND MENUSCLEANER THROUGH SINGLE USE ORSTRICT SANITIZATION GUIDELINES.CALL AHEAD SEATING ISRECOMMENDED.CONTACTLESS PAYMENT, MOBILEORDERING OR TEXT ON ARRIVALPROCEEDING WILL ALSO BEENCOURAGED.RESTAURANTS SHOULD PROVIDETRAINING TO WORKERS ONUP-TO-DATE SAFETY INFORMATIONAND PRECAUTIONS INCLUDINGHYGIENE AND OTHER MEASURES ANDAT REDUCING DISEASETRANSMISSION.WORKERS SHOULD NOT SHOW UP FORWORK.RESTAURANTS WILL BE EXPECTED TOFOLLOW CLEANING AND DISINFECTINGGUIDELINES.THIS INCLUDES CLOSING ANESTABLISHMENT TEMPORARILY IFTHERE IS A CASE OF COVID-19.WE ALSO PROVIDED GUIDANCE FORLODGING.HOTELS, MOTELS AND OTHER LODGINGBUSINESSES WILL BE ALLOWED TOEXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS IN PHASETWO.LODGING, SAFETY STANDARDS APPLYTO ALL, THAT INCLUDES HOTELS,MOTELS, INNS, BED AND PRACTICES,SHORT-TERM RESIDENTIAL RENTALSINCLUDING THOSE THROUGH B&B ANDVRBO.ON-SITE RESTAURANTS, POOLS,GYMS, SPAS, GOLF COURSES ANDOTHER AMENITIES MAY OPERATE ASTHESE CATEGORIES ARE AUTHORIZEDTO OPERATE IN ACCORDANCE WITHOUR PHASE TO REOPENING PLAN.-- PHASED REOPENING PLAN.TRAVELERS SHOULD SELF-QUARANTINEFOR 14 DAYS WHEN ARRIVING FROMOUT OF STATE.THE LODGING GUIDANCE INCLUDESOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS,CLEANING AND HYGIENE PROTOCOLS,AND GUIDANCE TO LIMIT ANDSTREAMLINE STAFFING OPERATIONSIN KEY PEOPLE SPREAD OUT -- KEEPPEOPLE SPREAD OUT DURING THEIRSHIFTS.THIS GUIDANCE CONTAINS SPECIFICINSTRUCTIONS ON ENHANCEDSANITIZATION PROTOCOLS BETWEENGUEST VISITS.AFTER DEPARTURES, ESTABLISHMENTARE ASKED TO CLEAN AND SANITIZEALL SERVICES, WASH LINENS ANDBEDSPREADS, AND MAY CONSIDERLEAVING THE ROOM VACANT FOR 24HOURS FOR DEEP CLEANING.IN THE EVENT OF A POSITIVE CASEOF COVID-19, THE ROOM USED BYTHE GUEST MAY ONLY BE RETURNEDTO SERVICE AFTER UNDERGOING ANENHANCED SANITIZATION PROTOCOLIN ACCORDANCE WITH CDCGUIDELINES.THESE FOUR GUIDELINES WILL BEPOSTED AS THE GOVERNOR STATEDTODAY AT THE MASSACHUSETTS STATECORONAVIRUS WEBSITE, MSS.GOV/COVID-19.ESTABLISHMENT CAN ACCESSADDITIONAL WORKER SAFETYGUIDELINES AND RES