In Rhode Island, restaurants will be able to reopen as early as Monday, May 18 with outdoor dining. According to the Block Island Times, indoor dining in the state will likely be authorized on Monday, June 1, but it is unclear when travel restrictions to and from Block Island will be lifted by then.
Outdoor dining will take place by reservation only and dining groups may not exceed five people. Tables will have to be at least eight feet apart and separated by barriers. There will be a limit of 20 tables in any given outdoor space.
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts is high as a result of the coronavirus emergency, but it is worst on Cape Cod and in Berkshire County, according to analysis from the Pioneer Institute.
Barnstable County which encompasses all of Cape Cod, reportedly has the highest unemployment in the state at 28 percent. Berkshire County is virtually tied, at 27.9 percent. These are about a few points higher than the 25 percent unemployment rate for the Bay State overall, according to the report.
