The news has been coming in fast and furious this afternoon and evening, including an update from Governor Charlie Baker just now and an update from Mayor Marty Walsh earlier. Here are some of those and other updates:Massachusetts Restaurants Soon Limited to Takeout or Delivery Only
Governor Baker has announced that all restaurants in the state will only be able to offer takeout or delivery starting on Tuesday, March 17 and going until Monday, April 6, not Friday, April 17 as Baker had originally said. This will not apply to markets/grocery stores or pharmacies.
New Rules for Boston Restaurants/Bars
The new ruling above from Governor Baker will affect some of these rulings, but earlier this afternoon, Mayor Walsh said that restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in the city will need to reduce capacity by 50% and lines outside will not be allowed, and establishments in Boston will have to close by 11:00 PM, though all food spots will now be allowed to do takeout and delivery even if they do not currently have licenses to do so. This last point will seem to go with Governor Baker's latest ruling.
More Temporary Closings Announced--and More Likely on the Way Later Today
The list of restaurants and bars continues to grow, with more spots saying that they are now shuttered. In addition, more places are saying that they are closing as of today, so stay tuned for those updates this afternoon. The latest list can be found at this link: Boston-Area Restaurants and Bars That Have Temporarily Closed Due to the Coronavirus
Questions to Think About
As some of you have seen, a list of questions has been posted to this site, including how restaurants, bars, and workers might be able to get help as the crisis continues. The post can be found here: Some Questions Moving Forward
Alterations Made to Hours, Service, Concepts of Boston-Area Restaurants
Again, this will likely be affected by Governor Baker's latest ruling, but currently, Eater Boston gives a list of dining and drinking spots that have changed things such as hours, seating, overall setups of dining areas, and options for takeout and delivery.
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
