Governor Baker recently imposed a stay-at-home advisory this week, yet there are still quite a large number of businesses that have been deemed “essential” and remain open.
The Baker-Polito Administration issued an extensive list of designated businesses and other organizations that provide essential services and workforces related to COVID-19 that shall continue to operate during this two-week time period. This list is based on federal guidance and amended to reflect the needs of Massachusetts’ unique economy.
A detailed list provided by the State can be found at https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-essential-services/download
The list includes the following industries:
- Healthcare/Public Health/Human Services
- Law Enforcement/Public Safety/First Responders
- Food and Agriculture
- Energy
- Water and Wastewater
- Transportation and Logistics
- Public Works
- Communication and Information Technology
- Critical Manufacturing
- Hazardous Materials
- Financial Services
- Chemical
- Defense Industrial Base
The list also includes other community-based essential functions and government operations, which include:
- Workers to ensure continuity of building functions, including local and state inspectors and administrative support of inspection services who are responsible for the inspection of elevators, escalators, lifts, buildings, plumbing and gas fitting, electrical work, and other safety related professional work
- Security staff to maintain building access control and physical security measures
- Elections personnel
- Federal, State, and Local, Tribal, and Territorial employees who support Mission Essential Functions and communications networks
- Trade Officials (FTA negotiators; international data flow administrators)
- Weather forecasters
- Workers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting other critical government operations
- Workers at operations centers necessary to maintain other essential functions
- Workers who support necessary credentialing, vetting and licensing operations for transportation workers including holders of Commercial Drivers Licenses
- Workers who are critical to facilitating trade in support of the national, state and local emergency response supply chain
- Educators and staff supporting public and private emergency childcare programs, residential schools for students with disabilities, K-12 schools, colleges, and universities for purposes of facilitating distance learning, provision of school meals, or performing other essential student support functions, if operating under rules for social distancing COVID-19 Essential Services March 23, 2020
- Hotel workers
- Critical government workers, as defined by the employer and consistent with Continuity of Operations Plans
- Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)
- Workers that provide services for or determine eligibility for public benefits such as subsidized health care, food and feeding programs, residential and congregate care programs, shelter, inhome supportive services, child welfare, juvenile justice programs, adult protective services and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals (including family members)
- Workers in sober homes
- Professional services (such as legal and accounting services) and payroll and employee benefit services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities and critical sector services or where failure to provide such services during the time of the order would result in significant prejudice
- Commercial retail stores that supply essential sectors, including convenience stores, pet supply stores, auto supplies and repair, hardware and home improvement, and home appliance retailers
- Laundromats and laundry services
- Workers and instructors supporting academies and training facilities and courses for the purpose of graduating students and cadets that comprise the essential workforce for all identified critical sectors
- Workers at places of worship
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