outdoor dining

Gov. Dan McKee has signed into law legislation allowing restaurants to continue to use COVID-19 modifications, including outdoor dining and takeout windows. The legislation imposes a moratorium on the enforcement of any municipal ordinance or zoning requirement that would penalize restaurants and bars for modifications made in response to emergency orders from state or local officials. The moratorium is effective…

A bill temporarily extending a host of pandemic-era policies that would otherwise expire in connection with next Tuesday’s termination of the COVID-19 state of emergency cleared the Massachusetts Senate on a voice vote Thursday afternoon. The bill keeps measures including the authorizations for mail-in voting, remote public meetings and takeout cocktails for several months. Sen. Michael Rodrigues, who chairs...

The Massachusetts Senate will take up a bill that seeks to extend some pandemic-era policies beyond next week’s end of the COVID-19 state of emergency Thursday.

Restaurant sales in Massachusetts have increased sharply since early April and surpassed their comparable 2019 levels even before Massachusetts lifted the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions, the Federal Reserve Bank said in its latest Beige Book update Wednesday. “Restaurants across Massachusetts experienced a dramatic uptick in sales in April and May, with recent revenues exceeding those in the same period…

Gov. Charlie Baker made it official early Friday afternoon: the great majority of the state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions that have shaped life in Massachusetts since last March will no longer be in effect starting Saturday. The governor said the progress of vaccinations here — 78% of adults have gotten at least one dose and more than 3.5 million people have been…

Saturday marks the end of the mask mandate and all COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker lifted COVID-related restrictions ahead of the state’s reopening Saturday — and Boston businesses are ready for it.

Gov. Charlie Baker provides an update on Massachusetts reopening on Saturday.

Restaurants in Massachusetts have relied heavily on outdoor dining since the coronavirus pandemic began, and that could continue after the State of Emergency ends next month. On Moody Street in Waltham, business owners are thrilled that Gov. Charlie Baker wants to extend outdoor dining through Nov. 29. “The fact that he is fighting for us to go to November, which…

Massachusetts restaurants have relied on outdoor dining through the pandemic, and it could remain in effect for an additional six months.

Boston Mayor Kim Janey held a moment of silence Tuesday to mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s death and announced where millions of dollars in federal funding will go to help equitably respond to the coronavirus pandemic. She also said that the city will hold an event to remember people lost and claim space for doing racial justice work...

Several events were being held around Boston Tuesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd. We talked to members of the community about what’s changed.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to file legislation Tuesday to extend certain COVID-19 emergency measures that are set to expire on June 15 when the State of Emergency is rescinded. The legislation proposes to extend measures providing for a temporary suspension of certain open meeting law requirements, special permits for expanded outside dining at restaurants and billing protections for…

All COVID restrictions in Massachusetts will be lifted Saturday, but Gov. Charlie Baker wants to keep outdoor dining in effect.

Restaurant owners happy to see an influx of customers as they took advantage of dining outdoors.

Boston will join Massachusetts in lifting business restrictions on May 29, Mayor Kim Janey said Tuesday. While Boston had often lagged behind the commonwealth in reopening, “COVID trends in Boston continue to move in the right direction,” including the lowest number of active COVID cases since the statistic began to be tracked, Janey said at a news conference. The mayor…

Watch Boston Mayor Kim Janey announce when the city will lift COVID restrictions amid continually improving metrics.

The city of Boston will reopen its public libraries to in-person visitors starting next month and increase its number of youth programs as COVID-19 cases continue to drop, Mayor Kim Janey announced Tuesday. In a press conference, Janey said the library system will re-open in June for limited in-person services, prioritizing programs to help residents recover economically and catch up…

Parts of Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts, will be temporarily closed starting Saturday as restaurants expand for outdoor dining. Crews were out early Friday morning putting up barriers in preparation. Traffic and parking from High Street to Crescent and Pine streets is banned through Oct. 31. Some coronavirus restrictions are in place. Restaurants are required to provide hand sanitizer and paper menus....

Moody Street in Waltham has transform into a pedestrian-friendly outdoor dining strip.