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As Governor Convenes Advisory Committee, Small Businesses Wonder When They'll Reopen

HINGHAM (CBS) - Hingham Jewelers has been a family-owned business for the past 72 years. But for the past six weeks, no customers have walked through the doors off Whiting Street in Hingham.

On Tuesday, Gov. Baker announced the state would remain closed until May 18, meaning the jewelry shop would miss out on Mother's Day sales, which make up a large portion of the business. "We understand the severity of what's going on," said shop co-owner Stacey Page, but "to miss Mother's Day, that's a huge holiday for us."

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Stacy Page said her small business is ready to reopen safely. (WBZ-TV)

Gov. Baker also announced the creation of a Reopening Advisory Board. The board brings public health officials together with leaders from the business community. The 17-member group will advise the administration on strategies to reopen the economy in phases while taking input from business across the Commonwealth.

It's a step in the right direction, said Page, but she wonders why this board wasn't formed weeks ago. "I think we've lost a lot of time, and we still don't know what's going to be able to reopen on the 18," she said. "Let's face it, we're not just gonna flip the switch and go back to normal."

Page said her family business has been, and is, ready to reopen safely. "We could absolutely control the flow of people. I mean, we're a small business." She said overcrowding is never an issue in the jewelry store, and it would be easier to social distance at the shop than at an essential business like a grocery store. "We would never have more than 10 people in here, even at Christmas time, so we could do it on a one-by-one basis."

Now, Page said, all they can do is wait to see what the governor's advisory board comes up with and if health officials determine it's safe for businesses to reopen. "If the governor would say, 'Hey, small businesses can have three or four people,' it would be wonderful. It would be a dream come true for us."

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