Stay at home advisory to be lifted on Monday, January 25 in Massachusetts

BOSTON (WWLP) – Governor Baker announced on Thursday the Stay at Home advisory, which asked residents to not be out from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., will be lifted on January 25th at 5:00 a.m.

In addition, businesses that were asked to close before 9:30 p.m. will be able to stay open later on January 25th at 5:00 a.m.

Businesses allowed to operate past 9:30 p.m. include:

  • Restaurants
  • Arcades & Other Indoor & Outdoor Recreation (Phase 3, Step 1 businesses only)
  • Indoor and Outdoor Events
  • Movie Theaters and Outdoor Performance Venues
  • Drive-In Movie Theaters
  • Youth and Adult Amateur Sports Activities
  • Golf Facilities
  • Recreational Boating and Boating Businesses (e.g. charter boats)
  • Outdoor Recreational Experiences
  • Casinos and Horse Tracks/Simulcast Facilities
  • Driving and Flight Schools
  • Zoos, Botanical Gardens, Wildlife Reserves, Nature Centers
  • Close Contact Personal Services (e.g. hair and nail salons)
  • Museums/Cultural & Historical Facilities/Guided Tours
  • Gyms/Fitness Centers and Health Clubs
  • Indoor and Outdoor Pools

The lift of the Stay at Home Advisory also means liquor stores and restaurants that sell alcohol can do so after 9:30 p.m.

These changes come after a decrease in hospitalizations and a decrease in our positive test rate.

“We hope to see those trends continue moving forward, and if they do, we’ll be back to talk about to talk about lifting some of the restrictions that are currently in place as soon as it makes sense to do so, so people can get back to work and back to normal over the coming months,” said Governor Baker.

Businesses part of Phase 3 Step 2 must still remained closed.

The 25 percent capacity and gathering limits will remain in place until February 8th at 5:00 a.m.

On Thursday, Governor Baker also announced the next round of small business grant recipients, giving them more than $37 million helps them keep their doors open.

Baker said an additional 638 small businesses in Massachusetts will receive three months worth of expenses, up to $75,000. This is money that small businesses can use for things like employee salaries, rent, utilities and much more.

“The intent of these grants is to keep these struggling businesses operating, to cover their operating expenses and to help them make their way through this second surge,” said Baker.

According to Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, women and minority owned businesses were prioritized in the grant funding distribution.

So far, the program has helped more than 4,000 small businesses in the commonwealth, providing them with over $200 million to help them survive this pandemic.


Baker-Polito Administration Launches Community One Stop for Growth

New, single portal replaces 10 existing, separate application processes provides simpler, easier access to important economic development programs key to recovery

Details on the Community One Stop for Growth are available at www.mass.gov/onestop.

(Mass.gov) – The Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of the Community One Stop for Growth, a joint application process that will allow applicants—including municipalities, public entities, community non-profits, and private companies—to use a single portal to access ten different grant programs. Part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns, the One Stop will support strategic public investments in economic development projects in communities across the state. Lt. Governor Karyn Polito made the announcement during remarks at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s annual conference, and will join Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy for a detailed presentation to mayors and managers later this month.

“Launching the Community One Stop for Growth is one way for our administration to create a more accessible, approachable, and transparent state government, as well as strengthen the local partnerships that we have fostered since coming into office,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This new process will provide one door through which communities can access state resources as they look to achieve both short-term recovery and long-term success.”

“The Community One Stop for Growth represents a major shift in how our administration does business with cities and towns and others by taking the existing complex network of disparate funding sources and transforming it into a true partnership that supports communities in their local economic development strategies,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.  “Thanks to the invaluable feedback we got from local officials across Massachusetts, this new unified application will allow the Commonwealth to better understand and support a community’s development goals and vision.”

“Whether a community is preparing for growth, aiming to attract private investment or looking to catalyze specific projects, the One Stop application offers a streamlined, customized and coordinated process to partner with the state to advance their objectives,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.  “With a simplified application process, communities will have easier access to the administration’s tools that can support recovery in the near term while also making progress toward communities’ future housing and economic development goals.”

The new One Stop process includes a single application portal to multiple grant programs offered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED), the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and MassDevelopment. The One Stop also incorporates direct referrals to additional programs, offers tailored guidance, and features collaborative review, all organized around a single timeline. It also includes an optional, but highly recommended, Expression of Interest that allows an applicant to indicate economic development priorities and seek feedback from EOHED and its partner agencies prior to submitting a Full Application. To help guide applicants, the One Stop uses a Development Continuum or lifecycle that describes how a typical economic development project moves from concept to reality within diverse communities.

This coordinated effort for accessing state grants and agencies originated out of a series of regional engagement sessions held in 2019 during the crafting of the Administration’s economic development plan, Partnerships for Growth.  During those sessions, leaders from municipal government and the community development sector routinely cited a number of long-standing challenges to securing state funding, including difficulty in identifying available funding sources, understanding the purpose and requirements necessary for successful access, and navigating a complex patchwork of different timelines, processes, and guidelines. The One Stop for Growth follows on the success of the Community Compact Connector, an online, centralized grant finder and calendar launched by Lt. Governor Polito and the Community Compact Cabinet to address concerns regarding access to funding and awareness of programs.