As of February 8, 42 of them were allowed to drop their mandates under a state program that allowed schools to qualify for an exemption. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. Im not ready to throw my mask away yet. WESTBORO, MASS. community health centers and clinics or other licensed medical/clinical settings that care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients (e.g. Two years of the emotional and physical ups and downs of living with the nagging anxiety about contracting the disease. . Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. How Mask Policies Have Changed In MA Towns, Cities Advisories Local governments are only advising people to wear masks in public. Feb 11, 2022 at 1:10 pm ET. 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. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. Also, this week, the state Department of Public health relaxed its guidanceabout who should continue to wear masks and where: DPH now says people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks in most public places, unless they or someone in their household faces a higher risk of a severe case of COVID. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Others only require masks in public buildings. When you see it on a map, its striking just how much variety there is when it comes to policies town-by-town and city-by-city. Worcester earlier this month voted to rescind its indoor mask mandate, which takes effect on February 18. Individual businesses can implement their own mandates,. '"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. I am all about learning to live with COVID-19, but I dont understand why we couldnt start that transition from a position of strength. Masks are optional for residents as further described in DPH Guidance: Caring for Long-Term Care Residents During the COVID-19 Response. For Home health care workers, including Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) and Home Health Aides in community and home-based settings where they are providing patient-facing care. 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. Mask mandates return to college campuses as COVID-19 flares. Salems Board of Health voted unanimously to end its mask and vaccine mandates on February 7, a change that took effect immediately. Staff, patients, vendors, and visitors must all wear masks at the following sites: hospitals, emergency medical services, primary care and urgent care settings. It will be up to each business to decide whether to require masks. Board Chair Dr. David Moore said a dramatic increase in the citys COVID-19 cases last week prompted action. Bostons K-12 students are returning to the classrooms today after school vacation week, officially Mid Winter Break. March 9, 2022, 12:54 p.m. . The mask mandate remains in place in public places like buses and city buildings. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Join us. Boston: Masks mandatory in all indoor public places, Brookline: Face masks required in all indoor spaces, including businesses, restaurants, clubs, places of assembly, municipal buildings and other locations open to the general public, Cambridge:Masks required in all indoor public spaces for everyone over 2 years old, Canton: Masks required in indoor public spaces when community transmission level is substantial or high, Carlisle: Face masks must be worn indoors in public spaces, Lexington: Masks required for people ages two and older at indoor businesses, houses of worship, and private spaces. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. They say three quarters of Americans are immune; by March they expect the immune numbers will be higher. Under Worcester's new policy, masks will still be required on public transportation, in the airport and at some other public spaces. Per a release from January 28, the city said they plan on keeping their current COVID safety measures in place until Sunday. Some local communities missing from this list may not have provided explicit mask guidance. Vaccine Tracking And COVID Case Counts, Masks Will Be Required In Massachusetts Schools Through At Least Oct. 1, Janey Orders Indoor Mask Mandate For Boston And Its Schools To Mitigate Delta Variant's Spread, Massachusetts Cities And Towns Debate Mask Mandates, Vaccine Requirements. Town Mask Mandate Announcement, effective February 11, 2022. 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. We will use this information to improve this page. "We feel we are in a fairly safe position to do this rescission," said Dr. Michael Hirsh,Worcester's medical director, citing declining infections, hospitalizations and test positivity rates. WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) spoke with health officials from two towns south of Boston: Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App. Massachusetts schools and cities are dropping mask mandates. Why are we For example, many restaurants in Cambridge require proof of vaccination. 2023 www.metrowestdailynews.com. 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. 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. 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. "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. "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.". A lock icon ( The mask mandate for most Massachusetts public schools has been extended into January, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Tuesday. Drivers and other staff on transportation provided by the HST Brokerage system must wear masks. Masks are optional for residents as further described in DPH Guidance: Caring for Long-Term Care Residents During the COVID-19 Response. She hosts Basic Black, which focuses on current events impacting communities of color and appears weekly on Beat the Press, examining local and national media coverage. "I feel like in the winter, everyone is sick with something, whether it's COVID or not. In MetroWest, some cities and towns have mask mandates, some have advisories and some have no local policy at all. Wearing a mask provides protection against COVID and other viruses, especially when indoors or in crowded spaces. Unless there is solid evidence that TikTok is a political and military threat, all of this Sturm und Drang has no actual point. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Dozens of Massachusetts schools are already mask-free. oncology, rheumatology, immunology). 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. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. Yet while some states, including California and New York, require most people to wear masks indoors in public places, Massachusetts has held out. will stop requiring masks in public schools. 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. A growing number of cities and towns across Massachusetts are rolling back their mask and vaccine mandates as COVID-19 cases decline. Positive test rate has dropped sharply in recent weeks, according to state health data however, many residents are now testing with rapid kits at home, those results don't get formally reported running pandemic totals. It's complicated. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Roberto Scalese Twitter Senior Editor, DigitalRoberto Scalese is a senior editor for digital. April 22, 2022 / 5:45 PM / AP. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts This article was originally published on August 30, 2021. And. Everett and Waltham, meanwhile, do not have indoor mask mandates at all. Massachusetts mask mandate decision to be made next week (WHDH) - The list of Massachusetts communities opting to bring back indoor mask mandates continues to grow as the omicron variant fuels a surge in new COVID-19 cases. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Related:Natick implements a public mask mandate. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. As the delta variant pushes a new rise in coronavirus cases, infecting the unvaccinated as well as a small percentage of fully vaccinated people, communities in Massachusetts are once again implementing mask-wearing requirements. 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. How kids are navigating schools where masks are optional | CNN Thank you! Masks are optional for staff, patients, vendors, and visitors in these settings. Breaking news when it happens. 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. Were here to help. February 28, 2022. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Statewide, the Department of Public Health is advising fully vaccinated people to wear face masks indoors in public if they have have a weakened immune system, an underlying condition that puts them at risk for severe infection, or lives with someone who is at risk or unvaccinated. . Brookline did the same thing. BOSTON MA. 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.. Massachusetts doctors are now are recommending that everyone wear masks in all public indoor spaces, but Gov. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022:Updated Advisory Regarding Masks and Face Coverings PDF| DOC. The city of Lowell and the town of Beverly are dropping their mask mandates for businesses after seeing a drop in COVID-19 infections. Thank you! And hoping for stronger evidence that we have definitively turned the pandemic corner. Callie Crossley hosts Under the Radar with Callie Crossley and shares radio essays each Monday on GBHs Morning Edition. 2 min read. Massachusetts Mask and Vax Mandates: A (Temporarily Accurate) Guide It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. Just over 75% of the population has gotten a booster shot. Boston may not be requiring masks anymore, but many say they'll keep The U.S. States That Are Ending Mask Mandates (Published 2022) Mask mandates in Massachusetts: With COVID delta variant - masslive In Massachusetts, the mask mandate was imposed in August and was extended three times. WORCESTER, MA This was a big week for masks in Massachusetts. 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. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Mass. Public School Mask Mandate Extended Into 2022 - NBC Boston "In city buildings, you need your mask, and in the schools, the children in schools are still wearing masks, but those may be coming to an end soon," Golden said. Billerica: Employees of the town will be required to wear masks while moving throughout the building. 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. Freestanding, outpatient behavioral health settings are not subject to the requirements of this Order. Masked up with proof of vaccination and rapid tests at the ready, even as everybody else leaves all that behind. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, 'A lot of bang for your buck' with jail-based arts programs, From slams to sidewalks, poetry is alive in Greater Boston, How American English has borrowed, stolen, and evolved into an imperial language, Worcester school counselor Sean Magwire is a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says Supreme Court needs an enforceable code of conduct. But this could all change: according to Mayor Michelle Wu, based on the latest data, the vaccine requirements could be lifted very soon. Mask mandates in MetroWest MA: What you need to know - MetroWest Daily News . Boston still requires them for all public indoor spaces, as do neighbors Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, and Brookline. But when I consider those kids returning from weeklong family trips out of town, or staycations at home all I can think is superspreader. How many people have they interacted with? (CBS) -- As coronavirus cases in Massachusetts and around the country have risen due to the highly contagious Delta variant, some communities are starting to re-issue face mask advisories or mandates.
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