On Monday, March 23, 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory for the Commonwealth to begin at noon (12:00 pm EST) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The advisory will remain in effect until noon, Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Additionally, an order has been issued for all non-essential businesses to close, effective noon March 24, 2020, through noon, April 7, 2020.
The Baker-Polito Administration has issued a list of designated businesses and other organizations considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administration is following federal guidance on “essential critical infrastructure workforce.”
Categories of COVID-19 essential services that can remain physically open are:
- Health Care & Public Health
- Law Enforcement, Public Safety & First Responders
- Food & Agriculture
- Critical Manufacturing
- Transportation
- Energy
- Water & Wastewater
- Public Works
- Communications and Information Technology
- Financial Services
- Defense Industry Base
- Chemical Manufacturing & Hazardous Materials
- Other Designated Community Based Essential Function & Government Operations
- News Media
A full list of categories of “COVID-19 Essential Services” can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-essential-services/download
If your business does not fit in the categories listed above, but you believe that it is essential or it is an entity providing essential services, you may request designation as an essential business here: https://www.mass.gov/forms/essential-service-designation-request
Stay tuned for more legislative updates. We urge you to reach out to us to discuss any and all legal concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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