BROOKLINE – Health Commissioner Sigalle Reiss announces that the Town of Brookline is reinstating face-covering requirements in town-owned indoor spaces where the public gathers due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.
Beginning Monday, May 23, every individual will be required to wear a face-covering over their mouth and nose while indoors, including at the Library, Senior Center, all Public Schools, and any other town-owned indoor space where the public gathers.
The Brookline Advisory Council on Public Health reviewed COVID-19 case data among Brookline Public School students and staff, and compared those rates to other school districts in Massachusetts that did not lift mask requirements. The ACPH agreed that a temporary reinstatement would be an important mitigation measure to limit disease spread and reduce disruptions due to student and staff absenteeism.
Additionally, for the past several weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated Norfolk, Suffolk, and Middlesex Counties as a high-risk area for COVID-19 transmission.
The Town will reassess the need for masking weekly by reviewing county- and town-wide COVID-19 case numbers, community transmission risk and other data.
“We consistently look at COVID-19 data trends and hope this is a short-term requirement following CDC guidance for counties designated as high risk. The Department will lift the mask requirement once Norfolk County drops to the CDC moderate or low COVID-19 risk levels, or Brookline-specific data suggests that we are no longer in a surge,” said Reiss.
Residents are reminded that the best way to protect themselves and their loved ones is to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. For more information visit the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine page. To find a vaccination site near you, visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Vaccine Finder.
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