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. For the first time since early August, the Commonwealth reported fewer than 1,000 average daily confirmed COVID-19 cases over the last week. 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. On transportation provided by the Commonwealths Human Service Transportation (HST) Brokerage system. WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) spoke with health officials from two towns south of Boston: Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App. On transportation provided by the Commonwealths Human Service Transportation (HST) Brokerage system. The loosening of restrictions comes as COVID-19 cases linked to omicron have begun to recede. By a 3-2 margin, the panel . across the country lift indoor mask mandates and proof-of . So many public health officials across the state believe it's safe to ease up restrictions. I seriously cant believe were about to mark two years of the pandemic. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Some towns and cities have community-wide mask requirements. Many of his customers said they prefer the masks to be optional. Youll also need either proof of vaccination or a negative test taken no more than a day in advance. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Mask Recommendations and Requirements, is. All rights reserved. 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. With cases and hospitalizations both down in Massachusetts, some think it is time to ease up on restrictions, while others are still not comfortable taking masks off. Im prepared to be an outlier. Mandates Masks required in public spaces, including private businesses. The same release said 41% of eligible city residents have received a booster shot, which was up two percent from the week prior. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. Dropping the mask mandate on the day they return from a week off seems especially risky. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. It helps me relax" Anne Pofcher of Beverly said. will stop requiring masks in public schools. "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.". Thank you for your website feedback! In many cases, the requirement is limited to municipal buildings. And hoping for stronger evidence that we have definitively turned the pandemic corner. Bostons K-12 students are returning to the classrooms today after school vacation week, officially Mid Winter Break. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. Were here to help. A growing number of cities and towns across Massachusetts are rolling back their mask and vaccine mandates as COVID-19 cases decline. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. 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. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. WESTBORO, MASS. "Masks are one of the most important measures just because of the way the virus is transmitted. 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. Mayor Michelle Wu has decided they will have to continue wearing masks at school, even though other school districts are doing away with them, per Gov. Keep in mind, these advisories and mandates only come from local governments. Administrator Reports; Beach Water Quality Information; Coronavirus (COVID-19) & Pandemic Information; Emergency Preparedness. Youll have to wear a mask to drop by. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Plenty more have followed since. 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. The situation reminds me of the sharp spikes in infection rates that occurred right after last years holiday travels during Thanksgiving and Christmas. In Salem, which is right next door to Beverly, the mask mandate is in placeuntil March 8. I may be swimming upstream against a strong public current, but Im OK with that. 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. WORCESTER, MA This was a big week for masks in Massachusetts. Kids ages 5-11 will need to have at least one dose by March 1, and two doses by May 1. Quincys home to the latest apparently racism-fueled violent incident, where an Asian man was allegedly run over repeatedly. So are Chelsea and Northampton. The Centers For Disease Control has recommended that even fully vaccinated Americans in areas with substantial or high COVID transmission mask up indoors. Staff, patients, vendors, and visitors must all wear masks at the following sites: hospitals, emergency medical services, primary care and urgent care settings. Baker said that's possible largely because of the state has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country and testing is widely available. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. As of Thursday, businesses in those communities are no longer required to enforce face covering regulations. No doubt full of cautious customers like me drawn by the extra precaution. The town of Sharon has had a mask mandate since the end of August 2021, but Health Administrator Leandra McLean said the transmissibility rate is still too high to end it. As is Mayor Michelle Wus recent decision to lift the mandate requiring proof of vaccination for restaurants, bars and gyms. Mayor Michelle Wu has decided they will have to continue wearing masks at school, even though other school districts are doing away with them, per Gov. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. A number of other cities and towns have dropped their mask mandates, including Lowell, Beverly and Mansfield. Struggling to keep up with the state of play? If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. 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. "It doesnt make sense to me because they were so emphatic about it before and now theyre saying you dont have to do anything? 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. State education officials, meanwhile, announced the end of in-school mask mandates by Feb. 28, although local districts will get to decide if masks stay after that date. Feb 11, 2022 at 1:10 pm ET. I am vaccinated and boosted, and the number of vaccinated Massachusetts residents is high, though people are still getting breakthrough infections. "It's a little too soon to say, 'OK, let's get rid of the masks.' 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. With infection and hospitalization numberscoming down, are we finally turning a corner in the pandemic? The City of Lowell and the town of Beverly both dropped their indoor mask mandates this week. Updated: Jan 7, 2022 / 06:13 PM EST. The mandate includes all indoor businesses and facilities open to the public. 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? The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a mask mandate that runs through the end of February. 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. Each town has its own specifics around these requirements, so visit the community's website for more information. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Were moving too quickly. Follow Abby onTwitter@AMPatkin. will have to continue wearing masks at school, Mass. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Massachusetts on Tuesday loosened its mask guidance for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, now suggesting only certain groups at higher risk for the virus wear masks indoors. . Individual businesses and other facilities may still have mask mandates in place. Governor Charlie Baker was asked if the state was considering dropping the mask mandate anytime soon. In skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities licensed or operated by the Commonwealth: masks are required for staff and visitors. Other Massachusetts communities that have either voted to drop their mask mandate or allowed it to expire include Beverly, Billerica, Malden, Mansfield, Lowell and Worcester. It's complicated. Some page levels are currently hidden. Some towns and cities have community-wide mask requirements. A lack of competition invites a focus on internal politics over the public good. 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. Mask up:Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky announces indoor mask mandate. Please limit your input to 500 characters. And. Replies (10 . You skipped the table of contents section. Schutt said that while the pandemic is ending, the war against the virus has no end in sight. Breaking news when it happens. It's an uneasy milestone for many, As Mass. 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. February 28, 2022. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. Upload file: february_11_2022.pdf. And what about vaccine requirements elsewhere? 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. Freestanding, outpatient behavioral health settings are not subject to the requirements of this Order. Not everyone is breathing a sigh of relief that the mandates are being lifted. Several cities and towns around Massachusetts are beginning to lift their respective indoor mask mandates. "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. 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. Other communities have pushed further and declared a mask mandate in all indoor spaces. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. 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. Worcester earlier this month voted to rescind its indoor mask mandate, which takes effect on February 18. 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. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. How many of them are still unvaccinated? Things could be changing pretty soon, though, as officials are outlining the metrics theyd like to see before phasing out mandates. Were hearing conflicting messages from city, state, and federal officials, not to mention from health experts weve been told to heed all along. The CDC recommends that you wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you can wear for as long as you need it. 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. The . "It's time to give our kids a sense of normalcy and lift the mask mandate on a state-wide basis for schools," Baker said. How Mask Policies Have Changed In MA Towns, Cities - Worcester, MA - With COVID-19 cases declining in many areas, mask mandates are ending. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. 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. By February 15, ICU bed capacity had already dropped to 90 percent, there were 278 hospitalizations a day, and the community positivity rate was at 5.4 percent. community health centers and clinics or other licensed medical/clinical settings that care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients (e.g. You skipped the table of contents section. 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. Mayor Wu, for one, is keeping BPS mask mandate for now. In skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities licensed or operated by the Commonwealth: masks are required for staff and visitors. "When I heard the news that the mandate was lifted, I just thought it is progress. Here's our running. Below is a list of cities and towns where masks are required in all indoor public places: Belmont Starting Aug. 9, masks or face Meanwhile the neighboring town of Canton appears closer to lifting their mask mandate. Meanwhile, lots of other cities and towns still require masks, though policies are changing almost daily. lift the mandate requiring proof of vaccination for restaurants, bars and gyms. Town Mask Mandate Announcement, effective February 11, 2022. The keys to staying connected to your kids this pandemic school year. Dozens of Massachusetts schools are already mask-free. moves to relax mask rules, students say COVID is still taking a toll. What is wrong with waiting for that important marker? No Yes. Editor's Note: We have stopped updating this list as of Nov. 23.
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