Somerville Starts Phase 3 Reopening Tuesday

SOMERVILLE, MA — Certain Phase 3 businesses, including fitness clubs and gyms, in Somerville may open with restrictions Tuesday, Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced last week. All businesses looking to reopen must have a city-approved health and safety plan and meet stringent COVID-19 safety requirements.

The requirements, which are designed to decrease the risk of virus transmission, include all state restrictions as well as city-imposed mandates such as face coverings for all staff and patrons at all times. The city continues to encourage and support outdoor alternatives as additional safer options for gyms and fitness centers.

Businesses eligible to open in Somerville on Sept. 8 include:

• fitness facilities and health clubs including gyms, yoga studios, and other fitness centers;
• motion picture and television streaming productions;
• martial arts and dance facilities;
• non-athletic instructional classes (such as arts, music, language, etc., classes).

City staff will continue to work with specialty indoor recreational facilities with more unique safety challenges such as ax throwing or indoor rock climbing to consider potential openings on individual timelines. But at this time they will remain closed. Movie theaters and museums, including the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, will also remain closed until further notice.

Somerville safety requirements and enforcement include:

• Face coverings must be worn at all times by patrons, staff, and any other individuals present. There are no exceptions beyond standard medical and disability exemptions or age exceptions for infants under age 2. State exceptions, for example, for persons at a greater distance or engaged in vigorous exercise, will not be permitted.
• To ensure state or local capacity limits are not exceeded, businesses must require patrons to register in advance for specific classes or time slots, including for open gym time.
###lisomervillema.gov/phase3reopening.
• Due to the risk of aerosol transmission of the virus, all businesses must adhere to new COVID-19 safety recommendations for air quality management issued by ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. (See pages 9 and 10 of the linked ASHRAE report.)
• Capacity must be limited to ten or fewer people including staff at any given time for martial arts and dance facilities, non-athletic instructional classes, and motion picture and television streaming productions.
• Inspectional Services will carry out spot checks and respond to complaints. City staff will support businesses in maintaining compliance, but in cases of willful disregard endangering public safety, individual closures may be ordered.

Somerville continues to hold the limit on attendance at gatherings to no more than 10 persons allowed until further notice. This applies to both indoor and outdoor gatherings of any kind unless otherwise specifically permitted in city activity-specific guidelines.