Boston Has $6M For Small Businesses To Get Safer
BOSTON — A $6 million grant program will help the city's small businesses establish safety measures as they prepare to reopen. The Reopen Boston fund is aimed at helping businesses with less than 15 employees who work either in close contact with each other or customers and clients.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Tuesday afternoon the program will help small businesses buy personal protective equipment, put up safety partitions and manage outdoor spaces for approved use.
"When our small businesses are ready and able to open, we want our business owners and workers to have access to the appropriate resources to stay safe," Walsh said in a news release. "These additional grants will help level the playing field for Boston's small businesses and support both our public health and economic equity priorities."
The money will be released in three rounds, each around the same time Massachusetts enters a new phase of reopening. The first round will target personal services like barber shops and hair salons, which were allowed to reopen Memorial Day. The second round will focus on retail, restaurants and other personal services. The third round will go toward bars, arts and entertainment venues and fitness businesses.
Walsh also said the city will not any have added restrictions when its offices reopen to 25 percent capacity June 1. The rest of the city took that step Monday, with a number of safety measures included.
Boston reported four more deaths related to COVID-19, raising the city's fatalities to 622.
This article originally appeared on the Boston Patch
