Boston Sets August 22 Target for Full COVID-19 Reopening at 100 Percent Capacity

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced a phased COVID-19 reopening timeline that lags the Commonwealth's schedule by three weeks at several key milestones, with a conditional target of August 22 for full 100 percent capacity reopening. Janey, joined by Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez and Chief of Economic Development Midori Morikawa, cited a 41 percent drop in new positive tests over two weeks and a city positivity rate of 3.6 percent — below Boston's 5 percent threshold — as evidence the approach is working. Indoor public settings will rise to 100 people and outdoor settings to 150 people on April 30; bars, street festivals, and parades will not reopen until June 19, and then only at 50 percent of 2019 capacity for festivals. Janey declined to follow updated CDC guidance relaxing outdoor mask requirements, saying: "What is working is wearing our masks." The city has invested more than $16 million in small businesses and is holding weekly calls and Friday office hours through the economic development team to support owners navigating the reopening rules.