Learn about businesses and organizations defined as providing "COVID-19 Essential Services" in Massachusetts at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-essential-services
Related Activities Excerpted from the MA Essential Services List
These include:
- Nurseries, landscapers, greenhouses, garden centers, and agriculture supply stores
- Employees of companies engaged in the production, storage, transport, and distribution of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and other substances used by the food and agriculture industry, including seeds, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, minerals, enrichments, and other agricultural production aids.
- Vegetation management and traffic control for supporting (electricity industry) crews.
- Workers who support infrastructure, such as by road and line clearing and utility relocation, to ensure the availability of and access to needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications.
COVID-19 Essential Services FAQs
Q. Can businesses that don't operate out of a bricks-and-mortar location continue to operate?
A. YES with social distancing. If the service a business provides is not on the essential services list, that business must cease all in-person activities at its bricks-and-mortar facilities. These non-essential businesses are encouraged to work remotely. Businesses that do work remotely, whether as part of their normal activities or as a result of this order, must maintain social distancing requirements: six feet of separation between all employees, and between employees and members of the public.
Q. Is landscaping considered an essential service?
A. YES if providing services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, businesses and certain other buildings. This currently includes golf course maintenance (see list at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-essential-services for full details).
Q. Is non-emergency tree removal considered an essential service?
A. NO but you may be able to continue operating. If the service a business provides is not on the essential services list, that business must cease all in-person activities at its bricks-and-mortar facilities. These non-essential businesses are encouraged to work remotely. Businesses that do work remotely, whether as part of their normal activities or as a result of this order, must maintain social distancing requirements: six feet of separation between all employees, and between employees and members of the public.
Q. Are nurseries considered essential?
A. Yes, if they sell food or food plants and follow DPH guidance. Nurseries, greenhouses, garden centers, and agriculture supply stores that sell food or food producing plants for human consumption have been designated as COVID-19 Essential Services and may therefore continue to operate their brick and mortar premises. Workers supporting these operations are included within the COVID-19 Essential Workforce for approved purposes. These operations that remain open for business must deploy strategies to reduce COVID-19 exposure for their customers and employees by following DPH guidance. These guidelines are detailed at https://www.mass.gov/doc/dph-nurseries-guidance/download. Any nursery, greenhouse, garden center or agriculture supply store that sells solely plants that do not produce food for human consumption shall remain closed.
Q. If my business is non-essential, can I go to my place of business to perform routine maintenance on the facility, attend to perishable products or property, or perform other necessary tasks?
A. If you are the owner of a non-essential business, you may go to your business facility as needed to take care of crucial tasks that cannot be done remotely or to retrieve necessary materials or documents. Your employees may not go to your bricks-and-mortar place.
Q. If I work outside and can socially distance, can I keep running my business even if it isn’t essential?
A. YES, in some circumstances. If the service a business provides is not on the essential services list, that business must cease all in-person activities at its bricks-and-mortar facilities. These non-essential businesses are encouraged to work remotely. Businesses that do work remotely, whether as part of their normal activities or as a result of this order, must maintain social distancing requirements: six feet of separation between all employees, and between employees and members of the public.
Q. Are property management firms and landlords considered essential?
YES
Q. Are golf courses considered essential?
NO, golf courses are not essential businesses and cannot have employees working on-premise. Notwithstanding this restriction, essential services, such as groundskeeping to avoid hazardous conditions and security, provided by employees, contractors, or vendors are permitted. Private operators of courses may permit individuals access to the property so long as there are no gatherings of any kind, appropriate social distancing of six feet between individuals is strictly followed, and the business operator and golfers abide by the specific guidelines for golf courses.
Municipalities may decide to open municipal courses under these guidelines, if they so choose.
Guidelines for golfers and courses developed by the Commonwealth and MassGolf:
- Security personnel can be delineated by each club (ex. a pro and the head starter) and will be present to enforce social distancing. There can be no other employees working at the recreational component of the golf operation.
- All staff must wear face coverings while on property.
- Course facilities including but not limited to the clubhouse, golf shop, restaurant, bag room and locker room must remain closed.
- No caddies allowed.
- No golf carts allowed.
- Push carts may be used. Players must either carry their own bag or use a push cart.
- All golfers must maintain proper social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times.
- Groups of players are restricted to no more than 4 players at one time.
- Members-only clubs can allow guests as determined by the security personnel on the golf course.
- Private clubs that allow non-members to make reservations can do so at their discretion.
- Maintenance personnel are permitted to work on the golf course.
- Tee Time Policy must be 15 minutes between groups.
- Golfers must stay in their car until 15 minutes before their tee time and must return to their car immediately following play.
- Online and remote payment options must be utilized.
- All golfers must use their own golf clubs. Sharing golf clubs or rental golf clubs is not allowed.
- Flagsticks must remain in the hole. Hole liners must be raised so picking a ball out of the hole doesn’t occur.
- Bunker rakes must be removed, and ball washers must be removed or covered.
- Practice putting green, driving range, and chipping areas must be closed.
- Facilities must have readily accessible hand sanitizer.
