Governor Charlie Baker announced on Friday that he was extending the statewide closure mandate for non-essential businesses by 24-hours, from Monday to Tuesday, to allow his advisory board to submit its plan for a phased re-opening amid the coronavirus pandemic.
One area of the state that is perhaps particularly anxious is the Cape & the Islands, given the local economy’s dependence on tourism dollars. Emily Rooney spoke Friday on WGBH News’ ‘Greater Boston’ with a panel of guests from the area to get their perspective on the matter.
State senator Julian Cyr cautioned that the idea of ‘reopening’ was not as blunt as some seemed to think of it as.
“This is not going to be like turning on a light switch, so I don’t think the Cape — or any part of the Commonwealth — will be able to sort of ‘open’ on Tuesday or Wednesday next week,” he told Rooney. “So what we’re looking at is a cautious, phased-in reopening. My hope is that we are going be ready as a region to meet those phases. … I want to echo the governor here, I think he’s right to have some caution, that this is going to be a phased-in approach — and it has to be, to protect public health and, frankly, it has to be to protect economic vitality as well.”
Meanwhile, Gary Thulander, managing director of the Chatham Bars Inn, expressed an anxiousness to return to business.
“We are ready. We’ve been shuttered since March 22,” he said. “We have a detailed plan, and I believe a lot of the hotel industry is ready also.”
He said part of that plan included reducing the number of foreign workers, although he did not specify which category of visa holders this referred to.
“We are looking forward to a reasonable summer, a little bit down from last year,” he said.
Claire Adams, co-owner of the Salty Market in Truro, said the pandemic has required her business to rethink its systems.
“We are excited to be open, but it looks a lot different,” she said, explaining that the market was now offering only curbside pick-up and delivery services, and had cut out its made-to-order service at the deli counter to minimize crowding. No one is allowed in the building except employees.
“This may not be the busy summer season that we’re used to, and we can find a way to just make it through this and come out the other side so that we can have a great next season,” she said. “That’s really our goal now.”
