Some Businesses Aren't Ready To Reopen, And 29 Mass. Communities Are Too 'High-Risk'

Some additional types of Massachusetts businesses are allowed to reopen starting this week, as long as the COVID-19 rates in the communities they're located in are low.

Under Governor Charlie Baker’s plan, indoor recreation businesses can now operate — at 50% capacity.

Bill Hoefler owns Interskate 91 in Hadley which is a considered a lower-risk community by the state. He said the news was welcome, but he won’t be open for business this week.

"We need to get all of our point-of-sale systems back up to date and operating," he said. "We need to implement the COVID requirements that are new to us, and then we need to bring in staff, and get them trained."

Hoefler is targeting early November to reopen.

It’s unclear when the trampoline park Bounce in Springfield will do the same.

The city is one of 29 Massachusetts communities that can't enter the next step because their COVID-19 infection rates have been too high. 

Bill Merrill, an owner of Bounce, said he was disappointed.

"We feel that we have a large facility. We have 35,000 square feet," he said. "We have plenty of room to accommodate any government regulations and protocols, so to continue to be restricted has been is a challenge."

Merrill said he’s anxious to reopen and get 45 or so employees back to work.

Credit Frederick Gore / The Republican / masslive.com/photos

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The Republican / masslive.com/photos

The list of communities with higher COVID-19 rates includes one small western Massachusetts town:  Monson.

Town administrator Evan Brassard said for smaller muncipalities, an increase of a handful of cases can have an outsized impact.

"The state's numbers are based on the per-100,000 rating, and Monson only has 8,500 people," he said. "So when you get, you know, 10 cases in a week, that blows your numbers right through the roof."  

Brassard said COVID-19 cases in Monson jumped a few weeks ago because of a cluster of six cases traced to a family get-together.

He said there have been no new positive cases in the last week or so, and he’s optimistic that the town will soon be able to enter the step of reopening.