Mass. indoor dining to resume; colleges plan to reopen campuses Rhode Island theaters, museums to reopen

Boston — Restaurants in Massachusetts will be allowed to offer indoor dining and nail salons and other close contact services will be able to reopen Monday, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday.

Retail outlets will also be permitted to offer dressing rooms, though by appointment only, and offices will be allowed to increase their capacity to 50%, he said.

Baker said he made the decisions because the state’s rate of positive coronavirus tests continues to decline.

“We’re moving in the right direction as we continue our gradual reopening,” he said.

Earlier this month, restaurants were allowed to resume outdoor dining. They’ve been limited to take out and delivery service only since the pandemic hit in mid-March.

For indoor dining on Monday, tables will have to be at least 6 feet apart and parties will be limited to six people, Baker said. Bar seating will still be banned but there won’t be any additional seating capacity limits, as have been imposed in other states.

Providence (AP) — Rhode Islanders will be able to gather in larger groups and movie theaters, museums and other entertainment venues will be able to reopen starting in July, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Friday.

The Democrat said she hopes to begin the third phase of her economic reopening plan around July 1, and that it will represent a significant step toward normalcy as the coronavirus pandemic eases in the state.

“Essentially, everything will be reopened in some form or fashion,” she said.

Indoor social gatherings will be able to increase from the current 50-person limit to 75 people, and outdoor gatherings will go from a 75-person limit to 150 people, she said.

That means more people will be allowed at graduation parties, backyard barbecues, weddings and other social events, though attendees would still have to stay 6 feet apart and wear face masks, Raimondo said.

Child care providers will also likely be able to increase class sizes from 10 children to 20 so long as the groups remain stable, she said.

And theaters, bowling alleys, museums and other venues will be able to reopen at 66% capacity, or roughly 100 square feet per person, the governor said.

Raimondo said the state’s virus infections have remained consistently low, allowing it to move to the next phase of reopening.

The state Department of Health reported nine new deaths Friday, for a total of nearly 900 since the pandemic started. The agency also reported 68 new cases, for a total of more than 16,000.