Gyms, movie theaters, museums can reopen in Boston Monday

Gyms, movie theaters, museums and a slate of other businesses are set to open in Boston on Monday as the city moves into the next phase of its coronavirus reopening plan.

The businesses will open at a 25 percent capacity limit, according to the city’s reopening plan.

Aquariums, fitness centers, indoor and outdoor gaming arcades, indoor event spaces like ballrooms, indoor historic sites, indoor recreational facilities like batting cages and bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums and other businesses will all be able to open Monday with the capacity limits after being closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.  

Gatherings in the city must be capped at 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. 

The guidelines that go into effect Monday are part of step one of stage three of the “Reopening Massachusetts plan.” They were first announced by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) last week. 

“I want to thank everyone who continues to do their part to protect our city,” Walsh said in a statement at the time. “While there has been some improvement in recent weeks, it’s still vital that everyone remains vigilant. Wear your masks. Avoid gatherings. Wash your hands and disinfect surfaces. Think about the simple steps you can take on a daily basis to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

The Massachusetts city’s positivity rate was down to 7.2 percent as of Jan. 17 from 8.9 percent early in the month, according to the mayor’s statement.  

Massachusetts has reported 521,360 total COVID-19 cases and 14,531 fatalities.