Callie Crossley hosts Under the Radar with Callie Crossley and shares radio essays each Monday on GBHs Morning Edition. Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft both require that drivers and riders wear masks. Dozens of Massachusetts schools are already mask-free. Everett and Waltham, meanwhile, do not have indoor mask mandates at all. These are all the Massachusetts towns that have indoor mask mandates Sahar Fatima 12/15/2021 'I could just hear people screaming': Victims describe being hit by blast in South Austin building And hoping for stronger evidence that we have definitively turned the pandemic corner. Anthony Brooks Twitter Senior Political ReporterAnthony Brooks is WBUR's senior political reporter. Researchers at the University of Washington have been monitoring the levels of immunity in countries around the world. 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. You skipped the table of contents section. 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. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. 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. 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. WORCESTER, MA This was a big week for masks in Massachusetts. In MetroWest, some cities and towns have mask mandates, some have advisories and some have no local policy at all. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) Students . Several cities and towns around Massachusetts are beginning to lift their respective indoor mask mandates. 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 if they had high vaccination rates. The city of Lowell and the town of Beverly are dropping their mask mandates for businesses after seeing a drop in COVID-19 infections. Charlie Bakers recent decision to lift the mask mandate. Salem had a short-lived indoor vaccine mandate, which it rescinded on February 8. 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. Schutt said that while the pandemic is ending, the war against the virus has no end in sight. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. Everyday Wealth with Soledad OBrian and Jean Chatzky, Health News: Powered by Tufts Medical Center, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. - FEBRUARY 8: People wear masks ahead of discussions of lifting the mask mandate on February 8, 2022 in Boston, MA. In Salem, which is right next door to Beverly, the mask mandate is in placeuntil March 8. With Cantons vaccination rate hovering around 80%, the town will be voting on lifting their mask mandate Monday night. 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. Some page levels are currently hidden. They are still required in city buildings. Worcester earlier this month voted to rescind its indoor mask mandate, which takes effect on February 18. I know the restauranteurs said the vax proof mandate drove away customers, but the restaurants I visited were full. It helps me relax" Anne Pofcher of Beverly said. Some page levels are currently hidden. Struggling to keep up with the state of play? If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Thank you! Check storefronts and online before heading out without a mask. Boston, the. The town is holding that meeting on February 16. In skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities licensed or operated by the Commonwealth: masks are required for staff and visitors. 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. BOSTON MA. Kids ages 5-11 will need to have at least one dose by March 1, and two doses by May 1. Billerica: Employees of the town will be required to wear masks while moving throughout the building. Kanton Mathis' 12-year-old son Eric wants to wear his mask at his Decatur, Georgia, school, where masks are now optional . For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. 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. Earlier, when the Omicron surge was heating up late last year, DPH advised all people, regardless of health or vaccination status, to mask up indoors. Boston requires all city workers get vaccinated, which has prompted push-back and legal fights from some public employee unions. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. 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. Join us. "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. Data from the Department of Public Health on Friday revealed that 5,218,681 Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated against the virus. Meanwhile, lots of other cities and towns still require masks, though policies are changing almost daily. 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. Some towns and cities have community-wide mask requirements. "If youre going to get your coffee or going to the gym to work out, you dont need your mask. 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. In skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities licensed or operated by the Commonwealth: masks are required for staff and visitors. (Masks are still mandated in some settings, including schools,hospitalsand public transit. I wish I felt as confident as he does. State education officials, meanwhile, announced the end of in-school mask mandates . Governor Charlie Baker was asked if the state was considering dropping the mask mandate anytime soon. 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. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. oncology, rheumatology, immunology). Virginia. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. But he is worried some communities might be rolling back these protections too soon. Quincys home to the latest apparently racism-fueled violent incident, where an Asian man was allegedly run over repeatedly. The latest numbers are good news. "Masks are one of the most important measures just because of the way the virus is transmitted. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. All people in Massachusetts (regardless of vaccination status) are required to continue wearing face coverings in certain settings, including health care facilities . Residents and visitors are still required to wear masks on public transit, in healthcare and congregate care facilities, among others. Unless there is solid evidence that TikTok is a political and military threat, all of this Sturm und Drang has no actual point. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. I am vaccinated and boosted, and the number of vaccinated Massachusetts residents is high, though people are still getting breakthrough infections. February 28, 2022. Please check with your local government for the mask rules in your community. 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. 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.. Others only require masks in public buildings. across the country lift indoor mask mandates and proof-of . Boston's K-12 students are returning to the classrooms today after school vacation week, officially Mid Winter Break. Im not ready to throw my mask away yet. WBZ-TV reports Worcesters leaders are going to ask the Board of Health to rescind the policy on Monday. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. The majority of Massachusetts public schools will enter a week-long vacation on Feb. 21, most classes will resume on Feb. 28 the same day the school mask mandate will be rescinded. '"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. 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. Here's our running. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. 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. I may be swimming upstream against a strong public current, but Im OK with that. We will use this information to improve this page. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. But while the state mandate will end soon, some school districts may continue to require masks for now. BOSTON (SHNS) - As COVID-19 case counts continue to rise across Massachusetts, including its schools, a decision about whether to extend the mask mandate in . Its not as though I dont have COVID fatigue, like millions of other Americans. 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. Meanwhile the neighboring town of Canton appears closer to lifting their mask mandate. / CBS Boston. Below is a list of cities and towns where masks are required in all indoor public places: Belmont Starting Aug. 9, masks or face 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. 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. Home of Traffic and Weather Together on the 3s. The moves come after COVID-19 infections have seen a sharp drop. 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. August 31, 2021 / 10:06 AM An appellate court justice has temporarily blocked the city from enforcing the mandate for police and fire departments. Not everyone is breathing a sigh of relief that the mandates are being lifted. Youll also need either proof of vaccination or a negative test taken no more than a day in advance. Use this button to show and access all levels. "When I heard the news that the mandate was lifted, I just thought it is progress. Abby Patkin is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. Wearing a mask provides protection against COVID and other viruses, especially when indoors or in crowded spaces. And although she sees the benefit in masks, she will no longer be asking for them at the door. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. WBZ-TV also reports that Worcester has fined more than 100 places for noncompliance. Thank you! ), COVID mask guide:Why N95, KN95 masks are so much more effective than cloth, Last Tuesday, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders told state legislators that Gov.

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