Even with the scheduled Phase 3 reopening easements, some business such as entertainment venues will still not be able to operate normally.

By Isabel Sami

Last Friday, July 17, Somerville pushed the Phase 3 business reopening for a second time, now planning to enter the next phase on August 3. This step allows movie theaters, gyms, cultural centers, and performance halls to open with restrictions.

Gyms are following guidelines from the state regarding health and safety, such as allowing 40 percent occupancy inside, ordering 6-14 feet of space between equipment, installing physical partitions where social distance cannot be maintained, and requiring masks to be worn by all staff members and guests.

At the Somerville YMCA, Director William Murphy prepared for the reopening far in advance. He and his staff sanitized all spaces and equipment, and moved equipment to be spaced apart according to state regulations.

“Our exercise areas are not that big but we have several of them, so it’s been difficult to maintain the distances between the equipment,” Murphy says. To keep guests safe, they also installed shields between workout equipment and have plans in place for sanitation after guests use the facilities.

Murphy says the YMCA is adhering to the guidelines set by the CDC and local health department. The staff is being patient, but he says they are ready to be back at work after a long time separated from guests. The YMCA is limited to 40 percent occupancy, but Murphy hopes that some restrictions can be lifted if the situation improves by Phase 4.

But not all businesses are being positively affected by the reopening orders. Ian Judge, Director of Operations at the Somerville Theatre, says the theater will not be reopening at this time. The state mandates that theaters may only operate at 25 percent capacity and are not allowed to sell food or drinks to the public. These measures make reopening financially unfeasible according to Judge, who says the Somerville Theatre will be unable to open regardless of the city’s guidelines if they cannot sell concessions to guests.

“Being unable to sell food and beverage at indoor theaters is more of an issue,” Judge says via email. “We lose money being closed of course – taxes, utilities, and rent don’t magically disappear – but we’d be losing far more if we brought staff back and reopened under these conditions.”

At ONCE Somerville, the venue is also staying closed to the public, but continues to create videos of virtual performances. This “virtual venue” features collaborations with the Jungle and the Burren, and videos range from album releases to at-home karaoke by artists filming at home.

Videos of performances are wildly popular now that in-person events are canceled, such as with Porchfest and Somerville Open Studios. The city of Somerville and the Somerville Arts Council are using the venue for this year’s virtual ArtBeat, recording artists live in the ballroom and posting videos on ONCE’s Youtube page.

To record these performances inside, organizers at ONCE are using what JJ Gonson, director of operations at ONCE and Cuisine en Locale, describes as an “obsessively strict” protocol while also following all guidelines set by the city.

Safety protocol for those recording inside the 9000 foot venue includes hand washing every 30 minutes, frequent sanitizing of shared spaces, keeping masks on unless 20 feet away from another person, and doors staying open for airflow. How many people are inside when recording? Only the handful of people working on sound and video recording, plus band members on stage.

“We can’t create a live music experience like we’d want to if there was a cure tomorrow,” Gonson says. “But what we can do is offer a small step forward from the bedroom.”

Without reopening this week, ONCE’s only form of revenue is take-out from its sister company Cuisine en Locale’s Club Mac, plus funds from its GoFundMe and a federal PPP loan to pay its five staff members. Gonson emphasizes that the city has been great at helping ONCE during the pandemic, forming groups for different industries in the community and “doing everything they can.”

Most performance spaces in Somerville are registered as restaurants or bars, and Gonson says that this creates a problem for ONCE since they have to follow guidelines for those instead of venues. Despite that, Gonson is hesitant to open the doors to the public without a vaccine for COVID-19 in effect.

“Honestly, if the governor said tomorrow that venues could open at 50 percent capacity, I wouldn’t do it because I don’t think it’s safe,” Gonson says.