As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge, many cities and towns in Massachusetts are implementing their own mask mandates for indoor public spaces. Governor Charlie Baker has resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate, but some cities have reinstated their own rules. Northampton and Amherst are the only large cities in western Massachusetts with mask mandates in place. The Sudbury Board of Health recently voted to reduce the city's indoor mask requirement to an indoor mask advisory.
NEEDHAM and Framingham have also issued their own mask mandates, while Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has said that public school students there will still have to wear masks. For public transportation, masks are still required on buses and at airports, but the federal Department of Transportation says its requirement expires on March 18, leaving open questions about whether it will be renewed or not. As the Delta variant continues to cause COVID-19 cases, some cities and towns in Massachusetts are implementing their own mask requirements for indoor public spaces. The omicron variant, which now accounts for nearly 100% of all COVID-19 cases in the U.
S. Department of Justice, prompted some states and cities to reinstate mask mandates during the winter holiday season. With COVID-19 cases declining in many areas, mask mandates are ending. Boston is among the communities in Massachusetts that choose not to reverse the course of their mask mandate yet. Massachusetts public school students and staff will no longer be required to wear face coverings while indoors starting February.
Until rescinded, the Board of Health will discuss the status of this order based on COVID-19 cases and infection trends in Plymouth, Plymouth County, and the State of Massachusetts at each Board of Health meeting.
