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Gov. Charlie Baker announced that any remaining COVID-19 occupancy limits or restrictions will be lifted beginning Memorial Day Weekend, effective as of Saturday, May 29.
Baker made the much-anticipated announcement on Monday, May 17 during a COVID-19 briefing.
Restrictions will be lifted for all industries, as well as indoor and outdoor gathering limits.
Health officials in Massachusetts said that they will be adopting the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for mask-wearing and social distancing, which permits fully-vaccinated people to not social distance themselves or wear masks while indoors.
The CDC still recommends facial coverings on public transportation, in nursing homes, homeless shelters, congregate facilities, and schools until more vaccinations are administered to younger Americans.
Masks will also no longer be required for youth sports as of Tuesday, May 18, with all restrictions lifted as of Saturday, May 29.
“The message from us is, if you're fully vaccinated, the data and the guidance from the CDC is pretty clear - you're very unlikely to transmit it, you're very unlikely to get COVID," Baker stated. "If you're not vaccinated, you should get vaccinated.”
Baker also said that he will end the State of Emergency in Massachusetts next month, which has been in effect for more than a year.
“Today Massachusetts leads the nation in vaccinations and we're on track to meet the goal that we set for ourselves back in December," Baker proclaimed. "People took the fact that the vaccine was a big part of our way out of this seriously and that's a big part of why we're here today talking about this."
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