SOUTHWICK – While phase three of Gov. Charlie Baker’s plan to reopen the state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic began on July 6, Southwick’s Board of Health Director Tammy Spencer outlined some of the new businesses that would allowed to reopen and gave an update on the town’s reopening process.

Spencer said that some of the business that were part of the phase three opening included the American Inn and some of the town’s fitness centers.

She added more guidelines would be coming for later steps for the current phase.

“There will be some more allowances for more therapeutic group programs, and they’ll be setting up new guidelines for visitation at congregate care sites. Apparently, there is going to be more than one step for phase three, but they haven’t announced those yet,” she said.

While the north lobby of the Southwick Town Hall has been open, there is not timetable for when the rest of it will reopen, even as phase three begins.

Spencer said, “We’re going to remain at capacity with the north side lobby open, with the Town Clerk’s Office, the Treasurer and Collector’s Office, with a phone to call any other department to drop off any information or make an appointment, but the rest of Town Hall is not open to the public.”

After the Parks and Recreation Department announced that the town beach would not open during phase 2, Spencer said that the department decided not to open the beach at all this season.

She added that while the department does have guidelines from the State about potentially disciplining businesses for not being compliant with the guidelines, the Board of Health has not had to take any action so far.

“All of the businesses have really been great at complying and if there have been any hiccups, people have been able to remedy them quite quickly,” she said, “The governor did outline consequences in the safety guidelines, if we need to use them yet, but I haven’t had to yet, which has been great.”

Spencer added that she thinks the town has done a good job opening everything safely. “I think the town has been cautious and we’ve moved at a pace very similar to what the governor outlined in his plan. All of the departments and community partners have been working well together,” she said.