Bostons K-12 students are returning to the classrooms today after school vacation week, officially Mid Winter Break. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a mask mandate that runs through the end of February. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. On Monday, Worcester health officials narrowly voted to rescind their city's. 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? I seriously cant believe were about to mark two years of the pandemic. Some page levels are currently hidden. But here areanswers to some common questions about the shifting landscape. It's an uneasy milestone for many, As Mass. Key numbers from the state Department of Public Health show infections, hospitalizations and positive test rates peaked in January and have been steadily dropping since. So, if you are unsure of what the requirement is where you live, you should check your local health department's website. 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. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. Thank you for your website feedback! This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. 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 As of Thursday, businesses in those communities are no longer required to enforce face covering regulations. WESTBORO, MASS. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Want to know the face covering rules and restrictions in your community? Chan School of Public Health. Other communities have pushed further and declared a mask mandate in all indoor spaces. Mask up:Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky announces indoor mask mandate. 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. "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. But this could all change: according to Mayor Michelle Wu, based on the latest data, the vaccine requirements could be lifted very soon. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) Private parochial schools in Boston have said they will not keep mask mandates in place past that date. Boston also requires proof of vaccination to enter indoor restaurants, as well as fitness and entertainment venues. You can try, CHARTS: Mass. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. Residents and visitors are still required to wear masks on public transit, in healthcare and congregate care facilities, among others. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Mask Recommendations and Requirements, is. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. That includes Boston, Chelsea and Northampton schools. Please limit your input to 500 characters. community health centers and clinics or other licensed medical/clinical settings that care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients (e.g. This map shows the COVID-19 level in each Massachusetts community, according to the CDC's new system. In Boston, the B Together plan calls for the mandate to end when the following criteria are met: At the rate things are going, that might be right around the corner. 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. Updated: Aug. 13, 2021, 8:56 a.m. | Not everyone is breathing a sigh of relief that the mandates are being lifted. Protests outside Boston mayor's house spark debate, Mass. Masks will still be required on buses statewide, even if theyre not mandatory in classrooms. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Below is a list of cities and towns that have made face mask announcements: Arlington: Masks are required in indoor spaces that are open to the public, Bedford: Masks required in indoor public spaces or private spaces open to the public, Belmont: Masks are required in any indoor spaces open to the public including restaurants, bars, salons, places of worship, fitness centers and other businesses. / CBS Boston. Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at Boston University, said he understands why some want to ease restrictions, but when it comes to masks, he said the public should use caution. The state program can take a victory lap after the smash success of Wakanda Forever.. Updated Advisory Regarding Masks and Face Coverings PDF, Updated Advisory Regarding Masks and Face Coverings, Consejos para Cubrirse la Cara y para el Uso de Mascarillas de Tela, Boletim sobre coberturas para o rosto e mscaras de pano, Avi Konsnan Atik pou Kouvri Figi ak Mask an Twal yo, Kshilla pr mbulimin e fytyrs dhe maskat prej lecke, , Konsedju sobri maskras di panu y tapa kara, , . The feedback will only be used for improving the website. The mask mandate for most Massachusetts public schools has been extended into January, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Tuesday. Some towns and cities have community-wide mask requirements. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images. Where they are, where they aren't, and when they (might) end. Please let us know how we can improve this page. WBZ-TV reports Worcesters leaders are going to ask the Board of Health to rescind the policy on Monday. But overall, I think it will mean a little bump in sales.". Governor Charlie Baker was asked if the state was considering dropping the mask mandate anytime soon. Use this button to show and access all levels. Just over 75% of the population has gotten a booster shot. They say three quarters of Americans are immune; by March they expect the immune numbers will be higher. In skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities licensed or operated by the Commonwealth: masks are required for staff and visitors. It helps me relax" Anne Pofcher of Beverly said. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. Schutt said that while the pandemic is ending, the war against the virus has no end in sight. 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. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The . The keys to staying connected to your kids this pandemic school year. The most recent guidance says that K95, K94 and N95 masks offer the best protection. 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. "When I heard the news that the mandate was lifted, I just thought it is progress. 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. So I feel safer, like, when I go to the grocery store, just wearing one.". And what about vaccine requirements elsewhere? . As of Thursday, businesses in those communities are no longer required to enforce face covering regulations. You skipped the table of contents section. Dozens of Massachusetts schools are already mask-free. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Advisories Local governments are only advising people to wear masks in public. community health centers and clinics or other licensed medical/clinical settings that care for patients with acute illness and/or immunocompromised patients (e.g. In fact, some measures are back to where they were last fall before a surge in infections related to delta and omicron variants. Worcester Library's Mini-Golf Fundraiser Returns For Adults, Families, Mothers Day 2023 Brunch: Reserve Now In Worcester, Students Maced, Big Tree Debt, New Gun Zoning: Patch Top Stories, Worcester Area: 5 Freshest Properties For Sale, 2023 Food Truck Season Starts In MA With 'Showdown' In Spencer. Roberto Scalese Twitter Senior Editor, DigitalRoberto Scalese is a senior editor for digital. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. All rights reserved. And hoping for stronger evidence that we have definitively turned the pandemic corner. Masked up with proof of vaccination and rapid tests at the ready, even as everybody else leaves all that behind. 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. Kanton Mathis' 12-year-old son Eric wants to wear his mask at his Decatur, Georgia, school, where masks are now optional . Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The State House, closed to the public for nearly two years, is finally reopening on February 22. - FEBRUARY 8: People wear masks ahead of discussions of lifting the mask mandate on February 8, 2022 in Boston, MA. Freestanding, outpatient behavioral health settings are not subject to the requirements of this Order. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Public Health. Please check with your local government for the mask rules in your community. Freestanding, outpatient behavioral health settings are not subject to the requirements of this Order. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. 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. 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. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. The Board of Health in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, voted 3-2 to begin phasing out the city's mandate. Youll have to wear a mask to drop by. Home of Traffic and Weather Together on the 3s. Massachusetts doctors are now are recommending that everyone wear masks in all public indoor spaces, but Gov. Download the latest advisory, updated June 10, 2022: Please do not include personal or contact information. The deadline has previously been pushed back, after the mandate was issued in August. reporter: plymouth rescinded the indoor mask mandate except for town offices. The town is holding that meeting on February 16. 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 same release said 41% of eligible city residents have received a booster shot, which was up two percent from the week prior.

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