City of Boston hosting COVID-19 reopening information sessions by industry

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today the City of Boston is hosting a series of information sessions for business owners to discuss Massachusetts's industry-specific reopening policies and guidelines for businesses. As the City implements a safe, cautious, phased-in reopening strategy that includes clear health criteria and safety guidelines for each industry, administration officials will share City resources and policy updates, and will also seek to hear directly from business owners on their concerns, questions, and challenges. Representatives from relevant municipal departments will be available on all information sessions to discuss how the Commonwealth's reopening guidelines impact Boston businesses. 

"COVID-19 is still a threat to our community, and we must remain vigilant and exercise caution in our personal behaviors and in our organizations," said Mayor Walsh. "As we progress forward with a safe, phased reopening, it's imperative the City's public health and policy experts speak directly to businesses on social distancing, temporary operating policies, and resources the City has available."

Step Two of Phase II of the four-phase Reopening Massachusetts plan begins today, June 22. In the past two weeks, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development has held several webinars for outdoor dining and close-contact personal care businesses, including tattoo parlors, nail salons and tanning salons, which can be found on the Economic Development Facebook page.

All events will be webinar-style and hosted on Zoom, and feature a presentation of City of Boston business resources, reopening guidelines, and offer time for questions and feedback from businesses. Simultaneous translation is available in the languages included below, and materials will be translated in additional languages and made available online.

 Below is the schedule for the business information sessions:

The Mayor's Office of Economic Development will schedule additional webinars as the Commonwealth announces the start dates for subsequent reopening phases. The series of reopening information sessions is hosted in collaboration by the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, the Public Works Department, Boston Transportation Department, the Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing, the Inspectional Services Department, and the Boston Public Health Commission. 

For restaurants seeking support to apply for outdoor seating opportunities, we encourage owners to reach out to our small business team for targeted technical assistance including application support and guidance. 

The City of Boston has created a number of useful resources to help support small businesses impacted by COVID-19, including the Open Businesses in Boston, Support Boston Restaurants, and the Black and Brown-owned Businesses platforms have helped businesses to publicly share that they are open and direct residents into supporting local establishments. The above resources and more industry-specific guidance are accessible on boston.gov/small-business. The City of Boston has created a Reopen Boston page for additional information. For all coronavirus updates from the City of Boston, please visit boston.gov/coronavirus.

The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors.