BDC News
By Jenna Fisher
Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory and ordered all non-essential businesses closed starting noon Tuesday until April 7 in an effort to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus.
But that raises the question: What’s essential? Baker’s advisory applied the term to a wide swath of businesses and professions.
There are 14 categories considered essential, according to the governor:
- Health care & public health
- Law enforcement, public safety and first responders
- Food and agriculture
- Critical manufacturing
- Transportation
- Energy
- Water and Wastewater
- Public works
- Communication and information technology
- Financial services
- Defense Industry Base
- Chemical Manufacturing and hazardous materials
- Other designated community-based essential function and government operations
- News media
Here’s a closer look at what can stay open and what workers are essential:
- Air transportation – airports
- Auto repair shops
- Auto supply stores
- Construction workers who work on housing, bridges, airports and other infrastructure
- Convenience stores
- Educators, staff who support learning for students with disabilities, or provision for school meals
- Electricians
- Exterminators
- Food Pantries
- Grocery stores, shippers, wholesalers
- Gas stations
- Hardware stores
- Home appliance retailers
- Home improvement retailers
- Hotel workers
- Inspectors
- Laundromats
- Liquor stores
- Medical facilities
- Medical marijuana establishments
- Medical and pharmaceutical companies
- MBTA, buses, trains, commuter rail
- Online stores
- Pharmacies
- Pet supply and food stores
- Plumbers
- Port authority
- Post Office, and other shipping companies
- Security staff
- Shelters
- Utility companies
- Weather forecasters
- Wildlife management
- Workers at places of worship
There is no ban on travel, so trains, buses and subways will continue to run.
--IANS
sms\rm
(This story has not been edited by BDC staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed from IANS.)
Writers are welcome to submit their articles for publication. Please contact us through Contact Us in the Menue
sms\rm
(This story has not been edited by BDC staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed from IANS.)
Writers are welcome to submit their articles for publication. Please contact us through Contact Us in the Menue