BOSTON (WPRI) — For the first time since September 2019, Fenway Park will be open to full capacity this weekend with no masks required.
The Boston Bruins will also be able to play in front of a full house at TD Garden for Game 1 against the New York Islanders in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The news coincides with Massachusetts lifting all remaining COVID restrictions, with some exceptions, starting Saturday — one week after Rhode Island fully opened.
All industry-related restrictions will end, capacity will increase to 100% across the board, and the limit on social gatherings will also be lifted.
Additionally, the face-covering requirement will be dropped for people who are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals must wear masks in all indoor public settings and outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible.
Masks will still be mandatory for everyone, including those fully vaccinated, on public and private transportation systems, schools, as well as in health care facilities and other settings with vulnerable populations.
It will be up to private businesses if they want to require them or not.
The latest data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows 3.5 million residents, which is more than half the population, are fully vaccinated.
Masks will still be needed for everyone on public transit, at healthcare facilities, and at schools. It is up to private businesses if they want to require them or not.
“We got this far because people in Massachusetts followed the public health guidance to keep everybody safe and we must continue to do our part,” Gov. Charlie Baker said earlier this week. “The science shows that vaccinated people are well protected against the virus and unlikely to spread COVID.”
Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard is the only community in Massachusetts that is considered to be in the “high-risk” zone for a relatively high rate of infection.
The Bay State is still in a state of emergency but Baker says he plans on lifting that on June 15.
