oncology, rheumatology, immunology). She can be reached atapatkin@wickedlocal.com. The requirement for K-12 public schools will now last until at least Jan. 15, 2022. Home of Traffic and Weather Together on the 3s. Cities and towns across Massachusetts are beginning to reimplement mask mandates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, after rising cases led the CDC to issue new guidance recommending masks indoors in most parts of the state. Replies (10 . A growing number of cities and towns across Massachusetts are rolling back their mask and vaccine mandates as COVID-19 cases decline. These experts aren't quite ready, Boston municipal unions bring vaccine mandate opposition to City Council. The City of Lowell and the town of Beverly both dropped their indoor mask mandates this week. As you certainly know by now, Boston opted to make vaccine checks mandatory at indoor venues like restaurants and gyms in January. And although she sees the benefit in masks, she will no longer be asking for them at the door. Dont expect those rules to go anywhere anytime soonyou may not want to relax your policy of stuffing spare masks into coat pockets. The lack of state mandate has left individual communities to decide the issue of masking for themselves, resulting in a patchwork of policies across the state. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Anthony Brooks Twitter Senior Political ReporterAnthony Brooks is WBUR's senior political reporter. A number of other cities and towns have dropped their mask mandates, including Lowell, Beverly and Mansfield. Salems Board of Health voted unanimously to end its mask and vaccine mandates on February 7, a change that took effect immediately. Two years of the emotional and physical ups and downs of living with the nagging anxiety about contracting the disease. In late August, the state announced it will require masks in public schools for students over age 4 and all staffers, regardless of vaccination status, until at least Oct. 1. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. We will use this information to improve this page. Nantucket: Masks mandated for customers and staff at retail stores, restaurants, bars, performance venues, places of worship, event spaces and other businesses Newton: Masks are required for. And hospitals are still full of people struggling to recover from COVID-19 infection. Until we get down to low levels of transmission, I think mask use is one of the last measures to be removed," Hamer said. "It's a little too soon to say, 'OK, let's get rid of the masks.' As COVID-19 cases spike once more, local health officials are putting increased emphasis on face coverings among the top tools for slowing the virus spread. by: Melissa Torres. For example, many restaurants in Cambridge require proof of vaccination. This requirement only applies to the worker providing care. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Bucci said it was hard to understand why his customers had to wear a mask when they came into the diner, but could take it off the second they sat at a table. Boston still requires them for all public indoor spaces, as do neighbors Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, and Brookline. All people in Massachusetts (regardless of vaccination status) are required to continue wearing face coverings in certain settings, including health care facilities . Feb 11, 2022 at 1:10 pm ET. Mayor Wu said this week that its possible we could get into the sweet spot in the next few days or so. Wu has cautioned, however, that if those numbers tick up again, the mandates could return all over again. A lack of competition invites a focus on internal politics over the public good. No Yes. '"It's wonderful to see people's smiling faces," said Lenny Marcus, who directs the Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Harvard's T.H. Worcester earlier this month voted to rescind its indoor mask mandate, which takes effect on February 18. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 2 min read. As the African proverb warns, Do not throw away the oars until the boat reaches the shore.. Many Massachusetts Schools Return From February Break With No Mask Mandate February 28, 2022 / 5:00 PM / CBS Boston BROCKTON (CBS) - For the first time in months, students in most school. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. Abby Patkin is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. Drivers and other staff on transportation provided by the HST Brokerage system must wear masks. Mask up:Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky announces indoor mask mandate. (Masks are still mandated in some settings, including schools,hospitalsand public transit. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Masks are optional for residents as further described in DPH Guidance: Caring for Long-Term Care Residents During the COVID-19 Response. Meanwhile, Boston is nearing the next stage of its vaccine mandate policyper the citys B Together plan, kids 12 and older will need to be fully vaccinated to enter those places, too, beginning February 15. "It's a lot easier to breathe, said owner Alaina Bracket. As of Thursday, businesses in those communities are no longer required to enforce face covering regulations. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. isolation and quarantine guidance which includes wearing a mask in public for 5 more days after they leave isolation or quarantine on day 5, regardless of vaccination status. And how many of the pre-K kids too young to be vaccinated are now unsuspecting carriers of the virus or its recent mutation, omicron? While their seven-day average positivity rate has continued to decline to 278 cases, the city said that rate is still above last years peak of just under 200. How Parents Are Finding Baby Formula in Boston, Heres Every Last Olympian with Local Ties, This search result is here to prevent scraping, On the Market: A Penthouse Unit in a Former Boston Brewery, Here's Where to Find the Best Fish and Chips in Boston, On the Market: A Back Bay Townhouse Overlooking the Charles, Here are the 2023 Boston Marathon Winners, The Interview: Crime-Fiction TV Writer and Novelist Dennis Lehane, Careers and Internships at Boston Magazine, Fewer than 200 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day, A community positivity rate below 5%, as defined by the Boston Public Health Commissions seven-day moving average. Bracket said business at Purple Carrot is still down about 50% from pre-COVID days. Worcester's Board of Health voted Monday night to rescind a citywide mask mandate, following other communities that have made similar moves as COVID-19 cases decline. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Mandates Masks required in public spaces, including private businesses. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Consider wearing a mask especially if you have a weakened immune system, if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system or is at increased risk for severe disease. Freestanding, outpatient behavioral health settings are not subject to the requirements of this Order. Residents and visitors are still required to wear masks on public transit, in healthcare and congregate care facilities, among others. "I'm just concerned that there are places that are getting a little bit ahead of the curve, and could inadvertently create a situation where those cases go back up," he said. Towns with indoor mask mandates These are the Massachusetts cities and towns that have indoor mask mandates in either all public places, or in municipal buildings only. Massachusetts doctors are now are recommending that everyone wear masks in all public indoor spaces, but Gov. By a 3-2 margin, the panel . 2023 www.metrowestdailynews.com. Per a release from January 28, the city said they plan on keeping their current COVID safety measures in place until Sunday. Staff, patients, vendors, and visitors must all wear masks at the following sites: vaccination sites, primary care and urgent care settings, and any medical/clinical settings that primarily care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients. Masked up with proof of vaccination and rapid tests at the ready, even as everybody else leaves all that behind. Other communities have pushed further and declared a mask mandate in all indoor spaces. The moves come after COVID-19 infections have seen a sharp drop. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Mask Recommendations and Requirements, is. The latest numbers are good news. I know the restauranteurs said the vax proof mandate drove away customers, but the restaurants I visited were full. You skipped the table of contents section. Meanwhile the neighboring town of Canton appears closer to lifting their mask mandate. After all, higher quality options such as N95, KN95 and three-ply surgical masks have been shown to offer wearers greater protection against even the highly contagious omicron variant, according to USA TODAY. In each of the settings listed below, Persons in Massachusetts over the age of 5 years old are required to wear a mask over their mouth and nose as outlined below: Non-residential healthcare facilities and programs licensed or operated by the Commonwealth, Healthcare practice settings of any provider licensed by a professional board which sits within the Department of Public Health or the Division of Occupational Licensure. You can try, CHARTS: Mass. 22News has compiled a list of towns that have mask mandates here. "Masks are one of the most important measures just because of the way the virus is transmitted. Schutt said that while the pandemic is ending, the war against the virus has no end in sight. "It would be a lot easier if we were able to move as a region, but right now the system isnt set up that way. / CBS Boston. This is also complicated: a number of cities and towns in the Boston area don't have vaccine requirements, including Arlington, Cambridge and Somerville, but lots of business owners have imposed their own rules. On transportation provided by the Commonwealths Human Service Transportation (HST) Brokerage system. A lock icon ( Doctors and parents are divided about the kids going maskless, but the governor said the significant drop in COVID-19 cases and deaths supported the change, saying, We have all the tools we need to keep schools safe as we move into dealing with the next phase of managing COVID.. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. Masks continue to be required in the settings defined below, except for when eating, drinking, sleeping, or as provided for in applicable guidance, and for an individual in a group that is exempt from the Order. Follow Abby onTwitter@AMPatkin. Whether youre required to wear a face mask depends on where you are. Use this button to show and access all levels. So, if you are unsure of what the requirement is where you live, you should check your local health department's website. Here's our running tally of which of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts have brought back masking rules. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. One of the things that we plan to do is to bring it before the next board meeting and see if they want to change the recommendation of how we will base repealing the mandate.. Knowing which town or city has or hasn't ditched the mask rule may be confusing, which is why Hannah Ritchie, who works in Lowell, will keep the mask on. Masks are optional for staff, patients, vendors, and visitors in these settings. Data from the Department of Public Health on Friday revealed that 5,218,681 Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated against the virus. moves to relax mask rules, students say COVID is still taking a toll. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. "If you are infected with the coronavirus and do not know it, a mask is very good at keeping your respiratory droplets and particles from infecting others," Johns Hopkins Health System epidemiologist Lisa Lockerd Maragakis said about masks. "When I heard the news that the mandate was lifted, I just thought it is progress. Framingham was among several communities torecently issuemask mandates, with Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and the Board of Health issuing a joint order last Friday. The mandate will be reviewed again on Nov. 5, Martha's Vineyard: Masks are required in all indoor spaces open to the public in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Tisbury, Medford: Face masks must be worn by all individuals ages 5 and older indoors in public spaces effective September 10, Nantucket: Masks mandated for customers and staff at retail stores, restaurants, bars, performance venues, places of worship, event spaces and other businesses, Newton:Masks are required for indoor public spaces, Provincetown:An indoor mask mandate has been replaced by an advisory, Salem: Indoor mask mandate throughout city until November 13, Sharon: Masks require for everyone ages two and older in all indoor public places or private spaces open to the public, Somerville: Masks mandatory in all indoor public places, Truro: Masks required in indoor businesses, clubs and places of assembly, as well as crowded outdoor spaces, Watertown: Masks required in indoor spaces open to the public, Wellfleet: Masks required at indoor businesses, recommended outdoors if social distancing is not possible, Winchester: Masks required at indoor public spaces, houses of worship and indoor private spaces open to the public, Worcester: Masks required at indoor spaces open to the public starting Sept. 20, First published on August 31, 2021 / 10:06 AM. With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. The . Quincys home to the latest apparently racism-fueled violent incident, where an Asian man was allegedly run over repeatedly. I wish I felt as confident as he does. Yet while some states, including California and New York, require most people to wear masks indoors in public places, Massachusetts has held out. Were moving too quickly. Lowell also let its mask mandate expire. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. The owner of City Eats on Cabot Street was ecstatic to openThursday morningwith the mandate no longer in place. community health centers and clinics or other licensed medical/clinical settings that care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients (e.g. But Dr. Simone Wildes, a South Shore Health infectious disease physician, warns of jumping the gun. I had just enjoyed eating out in restaurants Id avoided before the mandate. The mask mandate remains in place in public places like buses and city buildings. Effective July 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health advises that individuals should wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened In skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities licensed or operated by the Commonwealth: masks are required for staff and visitors. "If youre going to get your coffee or going to the gym to work out, you dont need your mask. COVID is still here but we are trending more towards an endemic, which means its always going to be here sort of like the flu., Read More: South Yarmouth Man Reported Missing During Blizzard Found Dead, This comes as news broke Friday that the City of Worcester is considering lifting their indoor mask mandate, which was put in place in September 2021. BOSTON (CBS) With the new Omicron variant driving COVID-19 cases to record levels in Massachusetts, many cities and towns have brought back or extended face mask mandates to slow the spread. Advisories Local governments are only advising people to wear masks in public. The mandate includes all indoor businesses and facilities open to the public. As for vax mandates, school staff in Boston right now need to be vaccinated, but a new agreement struck with the city will allow unvaccinated teachers back into the classroom if case counts are low, and they agree to take COVID tests twice weekly. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. The city also recommends that the unvaccinated and people who are immune-compromised or who live with people who are immune-compromised continue to wear masks. A MARTNEZ, HOST: For months, the state of Massachusetts has had its sweeping mask mandates for schools, but this week it allowed communities to lift them. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. Struggling to keep up with the state of play? We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Plenty more have followed since. Data from the Department of Public Health on Friday revealed that 5,218,681 Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated against the virus. He described the latest case surge as a health emergency in our city.. The same release said 41% of eligible city residents have received a booster shot, which was up two percent from the week prior. February 28, 2022. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Please limit your input to 500 characters. . Chan School of Public Health. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022:Updated Advisory Regarding Masks and Face Coverings PDF| DOC. BOSTON MA. Why N95, KN95 masks are so much more effective than cloth, Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky announces indoor mask mandate, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Only staff and vendors must wear masks at the following sites: adult day health programs, dental offices, speech, occupational and physical therapy settings and other freestanding medical/clinical settings that do not primarily care for patients with acute illness or immunocompromised patients. COVID doesnt stop at every town line," Driscoll said. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. school mask mandate drops Monday, but in some districts the masks stay up for now, It's safe to unmask in many places, says the CDC. Mayor Wu, for one, is keeping BPS mask mandate for now. Consider wearing a mask especially if you have a weakened immune system, if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system or is at increased risk for severe disease. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Things could be changing pretty soon, though, as officials are outlining the metrics theyd like to see before phasing out mandates. The City of Lowell and the town of Beverly both dropped their indoor mask mandates this week. As is Mayor Michelle Wus recent decision to lift the mandate requiring proof of vaccination for restaurants, bars and gyms. The state Department of Public Health has relaxed its masking guidance, saying this week that people who are unvaccinated, or who have certain health conditions or compromised immune systems, or live with people who are at higher risk, should wear masks while sharing indoor spaces with other people outside their homes. Charlie Baker recently said he has no plans to bring back a statewide mask mandate.Dr . The keys to staying connected to your kids this pandemic school year. Mask mandates in western Massachusetts . Youll also need either proof of vaccination or a negative test taken no more than a day in advance. Editor's Note: We have stopped updating this list as of Nov. 23. Wearing a mask provides protection against COVID and other viruses, especially when indoors or in crowded spaces. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. So, while the numbers are trending in the right direction, Marcus counsels patience. In MetroWest, some cities and towns have mask mandates, some have advisories and some have no local policy at all. The decision is aimed at relaxing restrictions and boosting business at places such as Purple Carrot Bread Co. in downtown Lowell. "It's a little awkward, and I worry that I'll lose customers when I say, 'Hey, we have a mask mandate.' For example, Worcester voted to end its indoor mask requirement starting Friday. Brookline did the same thing. - FEBRUARY 8: People wear masks ahead of discussions of lifting the mask mandate on February 8, 2022 in Boston, MA. >> the spike has gone and now we're back to the lower numbers we like toee s repoerrt: so far the cdc is continuing to . It had quite a run with its strict no-people policy, and was closed for longer than any other states capital. Upload file: february_11_2022.pdf. If this mandate prevents one person from having to seek medical care from our severely overtaxed health care system right now, then I think weve done the right thing, fellow board member Alexandra Rubin said. Municipal requirement Masks required inside municipal buildings, including libraries, seniors centers and at public meetings. The state Department of Public Health issued a mask advisory on Dec. 21 recommending but not requiring the use of face coverings indoors in public. Here's our running. And. I think, in general, we want to see a significant decrease in cases that is maintained over time.". All key COVID-19 metrics, including deaths, cases, and . Billerica: Masks required in indoor public spaces or private spaces open to the public. And some cities and towns have no requirements at all. The final weeks of the college school year have been disrupted yet again by COVID-19 as universities . Belmont: The town of Belmont has decided to enact a town mask mandate to cover municipal buildings, as well as any indoor public space, including restaurants, bars, retail shops and gyms. Breaking news when it happens. The mandate applies to all businesses, retail stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, fitness centers and other places of assembly.. On Monday, Worcester health officials narrowly voted to rescind their city's. A statewide mask mandate in schools is set to end February 28, but cities and towns are free to keep them in place if they so choose, and many of them are doing just that. But he is worried some communities might be rolling back these protections too soon. WBZ-TV also reports that Worcester has fined more than 100 places for noncompliance. Dozens of Massachusetts schools are already mask-free. It helps me relax" Anne Pofcher of Beverly said. In late August, the state announced it will require masks in public schools for students over age 4 and all staffers, regardless of vaccination status, until at least Oct. 1. ( WWLP) - Cities and towns across the state have re-implementing mask mandates as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has overtaken the Delta variant as the most dominant strain in the country.. Support GBH. WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) spoke with health officials from two towns south of Boston: Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App. Beverly's mask mandate expired at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. reporter: plymouth rescinded the indoor mask mandate except for town offices. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Even though lots of states have been dropping their school mask mandates, the CDC thinks its too soon to take that step, and is sticking with its guidance that kids stay masked in schools. . community health centers and clinics or other licensed medical/clinical settings that care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients (e.g. Keeping to small circles in which I can feel safer. "If you havent yet received your COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask can also help prevent germs that come from another persons respiratory droplets from getting into your nose and mouth.". She suggested the Board of Health review the citys COVID-19 case data at its next meeting to determine wether to recommend altering the mandate or keeping it as is. Masks are optional for staff, patients, vendors, and visitors in these settings. Some places, like Medford, Malden, and Melrose, require masks only in municipal buildings. Each town has its own specifics around these requirements, so visit the community's website for more information. All rights reserved. Board Chair Dr. David Moore said a dramatic increase in the citys COVID-19 cases last week prompted action. A lock icon (
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