Boston, MA Covid-19 Vaccine Requirements Starting January 15th, 2022!
updated Feburary 11th, 2022
Looking to travel to Boston, Massachusettes in the year year? Maybe you have to head to the historic city for a work event or celebration? Or maybe you are a local resident in the New England region hoping to see a Bruins or Celtics game. Maybe even cheer on your favorite college hockey team or enjoy one of Boston’s many amazing restaurants. Even a local trying to go to the gym after work or attend your favorite show.
Well as of December 20th, 2021, new rules were introduced regarding vaccination status and the ability to enter some indoor establishments in the city. Starting January 15th, 2022, new regulations will be in place and rolled out over the coming months to enforce this new policy.
What does this mean for locals and travelers alike looking to explore Beantown this coming year? Here is the outline of the new program titled “B Together”.
REQUIREMENTS:
COVERED LOCATIONS
Starting on January 15, 2022, people will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter certain indoor spaces in Boston that offer:
Indoor dining, including bars and nightclubs
Indoor fitness
Indoor entertainment
LIST OF COVERED LOCATIONS AND BUSINESSES
INDOOR DINING:
Indoor portions of food service establishments offering food and drink, including:
restaurants
bars, and
all indoor dining areas of food service establishments.
The requirements of this Order shall NOT apply to:
any food service establishment offering food or drink exclusively for off-premises or outdoor consumption, or
a food service establishment providing charitable food services, such as soup kitchens.
INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATIONAL, AND EVENT VENUES, INCLUDING:
movie theaters
music or concert venues
commercial event and party venues
museums and galleries
professional sports arenas and indoor stadiums
convention centers and exhibition halls
performing arts theaters
bowling alleys, and
other recreational centers.
INDOOR GYMS AND FITNESS SETTINGS, INCLUDING:
commercial gyms and fitness centers
yoga, pilates, barre, and dance studios
boxing and kickboxing gyms
fitness boot camps
indoor pools, and
other facilities used for conducting group fitness classes.
HOW DO I SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATION?
Locals and visitors alike will have a few different ways they can show they are vaccinated against COVID-19. verification can be done with via one of these four avenues:
a CDC vaccination card
a digital image of your CDC card
an image of any official immunization record, or
The City of Boston B Together app or any other COVID vaccine verification app.
another COVID-19 vaccine verification app, including the Clear Health Pass, Common Pass, Key to NYC, VaxYes, IATA Travel Pass, and the Excelsior Pass.
Boston’s new B Together app gives you easy access to images of your family’s COVID-19 vaccination cards. The app stores images of your vaccine cards so you can share them at restricted indoor spaces in the City of Boston. Download the app here
Of note: You are NOT required to show your ID with your vaccination card. ID will still need to be shown for any space that limits admission to 21+ years old.
Read up about the current city and state COVID-19 Mask Requirements
WHAT ABOUT THOSE UNABLE TO BE VACCINATED: TO YOUNG, MEDICAL, RELIGIOUS, ETC?
The cities website states that
“Covered businesses must require proof of vaccination. If a customer requests an exemption from the vaccine requirement due to a disability, engage with them in a cooperative dialogue to see if a reasonable accommodation is possible. A business does not have to provide a reasonable accommodation if doing so would create a direct threat (including contact with an unvaccinated individual) for other customers or employees of the business, or impose an undue hardship on the business.”
GOT BOOSTED?
The city of Boston states that since there is no current requirement in the policy to have a booster this means individuals with one dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen COVID-19) , or Two doses of the Moderna (Moderna COVID-19) or Pfizer (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccines will be able be considered fully vaccinated. This is allied with the Center for Disease Control current ruling for what they define a fully vaccinated individual is.