BOSTON — The second phase of Boston’s “B Together” COVID-19 policy goes into effect on Tuesday, requiring anyone age 12 and up to show proof of full vaccination to enter indoor spaces in the city, including restaurants, entertainment venues, and indoor fitness facilities.
The first phase, requiring proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, went into effect on January 15.
The city said previously that the policy will be phased in, over time, to give people, particularly youth, more time to prepare for this requirement and to get vaccinated.
Employees working in those spaces will also be required to be vaccinated. Covered businesses are responsible for checking proof of vaccination and posting a notice about the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.
“The protocols for managing COVID in this industry have changed so many times,” said Justin Iannelli, a server at Casarecce Ristorante in Boston’s North End. “It definitely makes the job a lot more difficult.”
The requirement does not include booster shots.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has said last week that the proof of vaccination requirement will go away when the city reaches three certain metrics:
- Fewer than 95% of ICU beds are occupied
- Fewer than 200 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day
- A community positivity rate below 5%, as defined by the Boston Public Health Commission’s 7-day moving average
Boston city officials released that as of February 11, the city is averaging 253 new positive COVID-19 cases per day, with a community positivity rate of 5.4%. Last week, Boston reported a community positivity rate of 7.4%.
The city has said it has already met the ICU capacity metric.
“Based on our current projections, I anticipate that all three of these thresholds will be met in the coming weeks,” Boston Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu stated back on Friday.
As it stands, children ages 5 to 11 will be required to show proof of at least one dose in certain indoor spaces in Boston starting on March 1st.
The policy has been met with some protests.
As for the city’s mask mandate, the mayor has said there are no plans, at this point, to lift that mandate.
“We are not yet there in terms of pulling” the mask mandate, the mayor said last week. The mask mandate has been in effect since August 27, 2021.
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